Lessons from the US (1)

MP Barry Sheerman suggests that universities need to set up professional student recruitment offices ("US policy inspires UK team", THES , October ). What does he think universities have already? The level of talent and professionalism among staff is not the problem in recruiting disadvantaged students. It is lack of government funding; the constraints of an admissions system that gives course selectors nowhere near the amount of candidate information that US selectors have, and the re-focusing of careers guidance in schools away from the majority of pupils and on to those excluded earlier in the education system.

Amanda Layng
Director, Schools and colleges liaison service
University of Warwick