The wood for the trees

Despite its fine record, politicians are still looking for the benefit in higher education

Later today, the Commons education committee will question “key higher education stakeholders” on why students from lower-income backgrounds, and some minority groups, are less likely to complete university, receive top grades and proceed to employment.

Playbook could save them some time with a short lesson about how sometimes—believe it or not—a person’s background influences their educational progress. Remarkably, even though universities have a fantastic track record of bolstering upward social mobility, they remain under the microscope when policymakers want to explore the merits of higher education.