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Alex Blower

Author

Alex Blower

Widening Access Professional

Alex Blower is Access and Participation Manager at Arts University Bournemouth

9 pieces

Newest first, since July 2020

  1. · Comment

    Getting in and getting on needs to go up the agenda, not down

    As widening access efforts come under pressure from cuts to budgets, Alex Blower reports back from a national summit to argue that keeping a focus on fairness will be essential to future support from government

  2. · Comment

    We cannot afford to let estranged students Stand Alone once more

    Alex Blower laments the closure of a charity dedicated to supporting and amplifying the voices of estranged students.

  3. · Comment

    How to deliver on working-class boys and progression to HE

    Alex Blower makes the case for accelerated progress on progression to higher education for young working-class men

  4. · Comment

    How to support working-class boys’ attainment and progression to higher education

    Alex Blower considers how the sector might address the access and progression of working-class boys to HE in a meaningful way

  5. · Comment

    Is it students or universities that need to change?

    Alex Blower argues that to tackle socio-economic diversity on campus, universities must first hold up the mirror to themselves

  6. · Comment

    Why are we still talking about raising aspiration?

    Is rewriting access and participation plans and refocussing on “place” the right approach? Alex Blower welcomes a new broom at the Office for Students

  7. · Comment

    White working-class students have been let down – just not by a debate over “white privilege”

    Alex Blower is less than impressed by the Education Committee’s debate over “white privilege”, but calls for deeper thinking if work is to be focussed on its concerns.

  8. · Comment

    Education, widening participation and the digital divide

    For Alex Blower and Nik Marsdin, technology is not a simple fix for complex societal needs, and does not benefit participation by itself.

    With Nik Marsdin

  9. · Comment

    A strange speech to widening participation practitioners

    Alex Blower reflects on a speech on social mobility and concludes that the minister failed to read the room.