Leading Article: Can do better

Today's figures on the number of teenagers from state schools and disadvantaged homes going to university are good news. The percentages are up. Moreover, the university drop-out rate has improved. These are good signs, particularly given the introduction of top-up fees. But we should not be complacent. The proportion of students from poorer homes going to Russell Group universities has barely moved. That's an issue that exercises Sir Peter Lampl of the Sutton Trust and the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. It suggests that initiatives to improve access have failed to raise the aspirations of many schools and families.