Dear colleagues
(Please do pass this on to colleagues in Admissions, Student
Services, Registry, Accommodation and any other colleagues with an interest)
You may remember that I mentioned in a recent email that the
DTI was redrafting their original guidance on the age discrimination
regulations and their application to ‘vocational training’ (which
for the purposes of the age legislation in the
That redraft has now been completed. See http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/discrimination/age-discrimination/page26492.html
for the revised article.
ECU believes that the sector requires further legal guidance
on these issues. Recent conversations with sector bodies and
communications with individual institutions on the age regulations and
student-facing issues have confirmed that feeling.
We have therefore begun to explore the possibility of
securing some legal advice specifically on questions relating to minimum and
maximum age of entry to course/HEI; monitoring admission by age; the duties to
under 18s in accommodation and elsewhere eg on field trips and placements;
age-related funding practices; the issue of objective justification and the kind of
evidence that might be acceptable; and the separate issue of the circumstances
in which age limits or requirements can be justified on positive action grounds
If there are other areas of uncertainty that you would like
to add to this list please let me know within the next ten days. Meantime do
use the FAQs on the website and our website links as a source of broad guidance
on some of these items…
I am working on a short Update for the sector on a checklist
of action points for the period up to 1 October but I am not going to be able
to get that out to you all until I come back again for my next week stint ie
week beginning June 19. I apologise. I know it would be helpful to have it now
not later but time is against me Im afraid…
With good wishes
Liz Sutherland
Liz Sutherland
Policy Adviser - Age
Equality Challenge Unit
Please note our new contact details:
Direct tel 020 7438 1018
Fax 020 7438 1011
Equality Challenge Unit
7th Floor,
55-56
Switchboard 020 7438 1010