From the knowledge economy to the hidden curriculum: (In)equitable transitions to higher education in the UK

This article explores the barriers to an equitable transition from secondary to higher education. Taking our home institution of Newcastle University as a case study, we consider the relationship of the ‘hidden curriculum’ of higher education in the United Kingdom with the sector-wide neoliberalisation of education, arguing that a governmental emphasis on the so-called ‘knowledge economy’ has had an ongoing impact on students’ experience of the transition to university. This has resulted in new barriers to the equality, diversity and inclusion agendas. We argue that, in the post-pandemic landscape, there remains the need for a university-wide pedagogy which approaches the student life cycle holistically. This encompasses pre-arrival to induction through to continuation at university. Overall, we highlight the urgency of cross-sector dialogue so that UK higher education institutions can respond to shifts in secondary educational policy; this, in turn, will help students to leave behind knowledge-based settings for those which are driven by critical enquiry.