Sheffield students 'not going to city's universities' new education study says

Online tutoring platform MyTutor analysed Sheffield's higher education challenges and found that nearly two thirds - 64% - of adults educated in Sheffield agreed that during their time at school, they were not encouraged to go into higher education.

A third - 33% - agreed that they had insufficient access to resources and opportunities whilst at school.

And over a third - 36% - agreed that through no fault of their own, their parents weren't able to support them into higher education.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the number of British school-leavers applying to start degree courses this autumn has surged to a record high despite uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study said that for those educated in the local area, there was a serious lack of encouragement to pursue higher education. The city is home to a prestigious Russell Group university - the University of Sheffield - which ranks 14th in the UK and accepts around 28,000 students per year.

Further to this, an abundant lack of resources were prevalent those educated in university cities.

Bertie Hubbard, Co-Founder and CEO of MyTutor said: “There has been a long history of regional differences, and the government is now looking to address this as part of the recent pledge to "level up" Britain.

“By empowering schools and parents with more cost-effective and convenient ways to support their children access is no longer such a barrier to success.”