University challenge

Universities secretary John Denham is right to focus university expansion on older, more mature students. Today's announcement that 15,000 workers' degree places will be created is good news. The 2010 target for 50% participation among 18-30 year-olds - one that looks challenging for 2010, but less so a few years later - was always going to be met largely through older workers, not young people. The challenge with young people is to ensure that bright pupils don't miss their chance to go to university, and that those with the right grades have an equal chance of getting to Russell Group universities as their better connected private school peers.