ABSTRACT
A very substantial amount of money is spent annually in England and Wales in order to give students freedom in choosing their university. One of the main functions of a system of choice has been touched on: that it is well-adapted to a diversified system of higher education. The relationship of student and university in most other countries is more casual and more restricted: accordingly, the nature of the institution is of less significance. Accordingly, it may be argued that if a system of choice is an effective way for students to find the institution most suited to their needs, it may also be an effective way of serving the social function of a diversified system. The function of a system of choice in relation to equality of opportunity is particularly important if the system is a decentralised one that allows institutions to set their own standards of entry and choose their own criteria and methods of selection.
