Raising class stakes

While welcoming Alistair Ross's call for more working-class students (Letters, THES , October 20), his prescriptions are not radical enough.

The solution Ross proposes misses the point. Giving all working-class students access to higher education racks up the competitive notches. It leads to qualification inflation and graduates doing McJobs. The rich will invest in the "better" universities and postgraduate qualifications to get the edge in the labour market. Everyone requires truly "higher" education on a different and more radical basis if class inequalities are to end.

Glenn Rikowski
Senior research fellow in lifelong learning
University of Central England
Birmingham