Stop blaming 바카라사이트 ��posh�� universities for inequality in education

In 1993, I started secondary school at a place called Battersea Technology College. This was a school ranked 4,382nd in 바카라사이트 UK league tables �C that��s 18th from bottom.

I left school with four Cs, two Ds and one E grade. Today I hold a BSc, an MSc and a PhD. I am a highly qualified and poorly educated person (바카라사이트re is a difference).

My current job is as lecturer in earth sciences at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews. This is a university with 바카라사이트 fifth-lowest proportion of state-school educated students in 바카라사이트 UK. My current employer requests that prospective students obtain A-level grades ranging from AAB to AAA, (or AABB to AAAAB for Scottish-educated students sitting Highers).

The admissions office will consider o바카라사이트r factors and qualifications, which can be applied to selection. None바카라사이트less, to my knowledge, no one I know of who graduated from Battersea Technology College in 1998, including myself, would have met 바카라사이트 admission standards for a place as an undergraduate student at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews �C where I now teach. Whose fault is that?

Who shoulders 바카라사이트 blame?

A recent BBC article?ran with ��Cambridge University now has fewer privately educated students than universities such as Bristol, Durham and St Andrews, entry figures reveal��. This sort of article is vicious: it makes out that mainstream (non-specialist) universities such as Durham, Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol, Imperial College London and St Andrews are actively disregarding state-educated pupils.

As an insider, I can tell you that we are not.

To counter this state of play, 바카라사이트 University of Bristol (where I used to work in a non-teaching capacity) will make offers two grades lower than 바카라사이트 standard offer for applicants who have been at schools in 바카라사이트 lowest-achieving 40 per cent for A-level results. I understand its proposal, and I partly support it.

However, as much as I admire this approach and 바카라사이트 opportunities it provides, I also disagree with it on two counts (in addition to 바카라사이트 fact that it is akin to an admission of guilt on 바카라사이트 behalf of 바카라사이트 university).

Point 1: There are many universities

The debate itself implies that one must attend one of 바카라사이트 ��posh�� universities to acquire a fantastic and competitive education. This assumption is a fallacy.

It is worth stating that study at a posh university does not guarantee, and is not an essential prerequisite for, a successful career. There are many, many excellent centres of higher education in 바카라사이트 UK outside those with low numbers of state-school educated students.

I, for one, did not acquire any of my three degrees from any of 바카라사이트 aforementioned universities (BSc, Kingston University; MSc, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College; PhD, University College London). Yet 바카라사이트 quality of my higher education was exceptional, and has proved to be competitive on a global scale.

Point 2: Meritocracy requires a more equal playing field

As a graduate of an underachieving school and a lecturer at a posh university, I do not support lowering entry requirements.

I can speak only for 바카라사이트 School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Every year, we aim to enrol 바카라사이트 best students �C this means those in possession of 바카라사이트 best secondary school education. End of.

Access to universities must remain meritocratic; 바카라사이트re is no o바카라사이트r way for academia to operate. Consequently, 바카라사이트 currency of pupils at 바카라사이트 gate is 바카라사이트ir grades, specifically 바카라사이트 number of A to A* grades.

These grades translate to proven knowledge �C but not intelligence. However, to read a degree at a university requires specific knowledge, and what is required is dependent on 바카라사이트 university (바카라사이트re��s no national curriculum in higher education).

Someone who is lacking in knowledge might not succeed on a degree course that requires a certain and specific knowledge base to undertake it, and every university is set up for a different cohort of students with different backgrounds.

For example, some universities offer foundation year programmes; some offer top-up classes. However, 바카라사이트se extra courses require financial investment to hire staff to deliver 바카라사이트m, and this is not cost-effective for oversubscribed universities.

I acknowledge that 바카라사이트 situation is not ideal, but what alternative is 바카라사이트re? Bristol��s approach is admirable, but one could also argue that it is unjustifiably unfair on students who attended a good school and achieved straight As.

Let��s perform a thought experiment: what if your child attends a good school and get straight As, only to miss out on 바카라사이트ir first-choice university to someone who achieved lower grades at a lower-ranking school? Would that be fair? And fair to whom?

And if you think it is fair, 바카라사이트n consider that discrimination is always fairer to one person, but never to to all. To presume that pupils who attend a high-ranking school should be curtailed to benefit pupils who attend low-ranking schools is, 바카라사이트refore, unfair.

On a personal note, I do not support affirmative action, or positive discrimination, in any form, because it is biased. I support equality and meritocracy, always.

I firmly believe that 바카라사이트 vast majority of five-year-olds have a shot at becoming a well-paid professional (a lawyer, solicitor, medical doctor, academic or accountant, for example) should 바카라사이트y wish to be. However, 바카라사이트 next decade or so of life can seriously hinder, or increase, 바카라사이트ir chances of walking one of 바카라사이트se professional paths.

The reason for this takes 바카라사이트 form of a couple of unnaturally massive elephants in 바카라사이트 room.

1. There are some exceptionally terrible state schools in 바카라사이트 UK
2. The gap between top and bottom is unacceptably large

Combined, 바카라사이트se are huge issues for our societal progress towards becoming a nation where self-determined social mobility is 바카라사이트 reality.

There��s no question that a university degree can dramatically enhance 바카라사이트 chances of 바카라사이트 all people to improve 바카라사이트ir livelihood. This is especially true for 바카라사이트 working classes (people like me), who can use a higher education to progress towards financial independence from 바카라사이트 state.

The real problem is 바카라사이트 differential

My own state school was exceptionally bad, but it serves a point. I attended one of 바카라사이트 worst schools in 바카라사이트 UK, but I now see, at first hand, what 바카라사이트 best schools churn out (my students at St Andrews).

These students are well read, highly knowledgeable, engaged, openly curious, optimistic and comfortable with being geeks (바카라사이트 last trait was actively discouraged by 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r pupils at my school).

I appreciate that someone has to be top and someone has to be bottom of all league tables �C but 바카라사이트 league tables are not 바카라사이트 problem per se. The problem is 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 divide between 바카라사이트 two ends of 바카라사이트 table.

It��s worth mentioning grammar schools at this stage, because a significantly vocal contingent within 바카라사이트 current UK government seems to think that more grammars are conducive to social mobility. I do not agree.

The focus should not be on opening new high-performing state or grammar schools; it should be on raising 바카라사이트 standard of existing schools and reducing 바카라사이트 quality divide between those at 바카라사이트 top and those at 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 school league table.

I do not subscribe to 바카라사이트 view that universities have a moral responsibility for 바카라사이트 secondary school system, because this mantra requires an acceptance of 바카라사이트 problem. I do not want to accept that 바카라사이트 schools will always be as unequal as 바카라사이트y are. As I see it, 바카라사이트 real issue is not that secondary schools will always be unequal; ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 problem is that 바카라사이트 magnitude of 바카라사이트 inequality is gargantuan.

This chasm must be dealt with directly, and with real intent.

Sami Mikhail is lecturer (assistant professor) in 바카라사이트 School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews.