In 2017, Scotland adopted the recommendations of its Commission on Widening Access, the centrepiece of which was a commitment that by 2030, 20% of full-time, first-degree entrants to higher education should be from Scotland’s 20% Most Deprived Areas. This also led to the introduction of a Commissioner for Fair Access to provide impartial policy advice to the Scottish Government and other organisations and work across the entire education system to (i) develop best practice; (ii) improve the evidence base; and (iii) hold to account all those with a role in advancing fair access to higher education. In this presentation, Scotland’s Commissioner for Fair Access will reflect on progress and relevance to higher education in Australia.

About the speaker:

John H McKendrick was appointed Commissioner for Fair Access (to higher education) by the Scottish Government in January 2023. He is also a member of the Education and Skills Reform Ministerial Group. In his day-job, he is Professor of Social Justice and co-Director of the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit in the Glasgow School for Business and Society at Glasgow Caledonian University.

He is primarily concerned to inform the work of practitioners and campaigners beyond the academy who seek to tackle poverty in Scotland. He has published many reports, briefings papers and addressed a wide range of Third sector and local government events on issues pertaining to the eradication and amelioration of poverty in Scotland. He sits on the group of National Partners offering advice and support to local authorities and local health boards in relation to the preparation of their Local Child Poverty Action Reports. He is an external member of the Scottish Government’s Child Poverty Programme Board and Education Scotland’s Scottish Attainment Challenge Programme Board. He is Chair of the Board of the Glasgow Council for Voluntary Services, Chair of the Wheatley Foundation, and Board member of several other anti-poverty charities.

At the end of this month, Scottish Universities Press will publish his co-edited, Poverty in Scotland 2026. He retains an interest in promoting children’s play and co-edited Born to Play (with Tam Baillie, ex Children and Young People’s Commissioner). It is John’s third visit to Australia, but his first to Perth and Western Australia.

Event details:

Lecture

Time: 3:00pm–4:00pm | Venue: Bankwest Lecture Theatre, 200A, Curtin University, 200A Kent St, Bentley WA 6102

Networking & refreshments

Time: 4:00pm–5:00pm | Venue: John Curtin Gallery Atrium, 200A, Curtin University, 200A Kent St, Bentley WA 6102