Ethnic students 'need boost for top universties'

MORE needs to be done to encourage people from ethnic minorities to go to the UK's top universities, television presenter Floella Benjamin said today.

The Liberal Democrat peer, born in Trinidad, said people from ethnic minorities predominantly did not apply often enough for the most prestigious degrees.

Speaking in the House of Lords, Baroness Benjamin said: "Many more children from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds and white working class boys need to be encouraged to start thinking of their education path to top universities from as early as primary school.

"Although the numbers of the BME students going to university have increased, research reported by the Runnymede Trust has shown that BME students predominantly do not apply to attend the top 20 leading universities.

"Research shows only 8 per cent of BME students who do go to university attend Russell Group universities, resulting in less prestigious degrees."