13 February 2003

ROADSHOW AIMS HIGH FOR PUPILS

A TOURING roadshow is in South Tyneside this week trying to encourage more youngsters to go to university.

The Aimhigher campaign is visiting five borough secondary schools to spread word of the ways higher education could benefit their future.
It has already visited Boldon School, Jarrow School - Learning For Life and St Wilfrid's RC Comprehensive in South Shields earlier this week.
Today, it was at King George V School, South Shields, and the tour ends tomorrow at the town's Mortimer Comprehensive.
It is one of five Aimhigher roadshows touring the country, helping pupils think through their options and spelling out the benefits of having a degree.
The campaign is part of the Government's wider Excellence Challenge programme, which has an ultimate aim of increasing the number of 18 to 30 year-olds in higher education to 50 per cent by 2010.
One of the key strategies of the programme is to improve links between universities and schools and colleges.
The roadshow, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, is particularly aimed at increasing numbers applying to university among pupils who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, which includes South Tyneside.
The Government programme has committed more than £190m to this end.
Recent graduate Emma Horsman, who is heading the roadshow, hopes her own experiences will prove an inspiration to South Tyneside youngsters.
She said: "We know the roadshow can make a difference to the way pupils view university or college.
"Last year, we found that 50 per cent of pupils were considering university before they came on to the trailer but when they left, that figure rose to 71 per cent.
"This year we will be reaching even more pupils and encouraging them to Aimhigher."
Celebrities supporting Aimhigher include Manchester United and England footballer Rio Ferdinand and model and TV presenter Melinda Messenger.