ALTHOUGH access to higher education is about average for the whole of Ellesmere Port & Neston, some parts have only a small number of young people moving on to university or college after leaving school.

A ground-breaking study has revealed the extent and scale of the inequality of access to higher education among young people aged 18 and 19 throughout the country.

The Young participation in higher education report by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) finds the higher education divide between advantaged and disadvantaged children 'deep and persistent'.

The study of participation rates by students in every region, constituency and ward from 1994 to 2000 reveals the most advantaged 20% of young people are up to six times more likely to enter higher education than the most disadvantaged 20%.

In a league table showing how many young people enter higher education in each North West Parliamentary constituency, Ellesmere Port & Neston comes in about mid-way, with 28%.

Top of the table is Sale & Altrincham in leafy south Manchester with 50%, while bottom is inner-city Salford with just 12%.

Within Ellesmere Port & Neston there are wide variations between council wards.

Areas like Burton and Ness, Parkgate, Ledsham and Willaston and Thornton all have uptake rates of 43%, while others like Grange, Pooltown, Rivacre, Westminster and Wolverham have only 16%.

Neighbouring constituencies fare better than this one, with Chester having an overall uptake rate of 35%, Wirral South 41% and Wirral West 44%.

Sir Howard Newby, chief executive of HEFCE, said: 'Higher education offers considerable long-term benefits to individuals and also receives substantial amounts of taxpayers' money. We have known for a long time that these benefits are not distributed evenly.

'This report highlights just how entrenched the divisions are between advantaged and disadvantaged areas.

'It reveals the extent of the challenge facing society and the whole educational system if we are to make real inroads in improving participation rates for young people from poorer backgrounds so a greater proportion can benefit from higher education.'