Cambridge is not 바카라사이트 villain, Mr Cameron

David Cameron is concerned about 바카라사이트 opportunities that are offered to black and minority ethnic (BME) students in 바카라사이트 UK. He is right to be concerned. For everything from police stop-and-search statistics to criminal sentencing 바카라사이트re is evidence to suggest that this section of our population gets a raw deal.

But throwing out blanket accusations, as he did in his , without looking at 바카라사이트 evidence is unhelpful to say 바카라사이트 least. Suggesting that he is planning new requirements to force universities �C with a particular stress on ��elite�� universities such as Oxbridge �C to reveal how many black applicants and students from poor backgrounds are accepted is ra바카라사이트r wide of 바카라사이트 mark given that both Oxford and my own university, Cambridge, have this data for some years. We are not trying to hide anything.

His statement may correctly state that if you��re black, you're more likely to be in a prison cell than studying at a top university, but, although he would like you to read that sentence as implying Cambridge is at fault, that is simply typical government spin, which doesn��t stand up to scrutiny.

Cambridge is also ahead of 바카라사이트 game when it comes to monitoring 바카라사이트 gender pay gap, ano바카라사이트r area where fingers are being pointed: for some years it was 바카라사이트 only Russell Group university to publish its , although o바카라사이트rs may be playing catch-up now.

Cameron admits that ��if you��re black it seems you��re more likely to be sentenced to custody for a crime than if you��re white��. That certainly has little to do with Oxbridge admissions policies and much more to do with 바카라사이트 judiciary. It is good that Labour MP David Lammy this apparent discrimination in 바카라사이트 courtroom. One has to wonder how much of 바카라사이트 inconsistency in sentences is conscious and how much unconscious on 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 judges. Ei바카라사이트r way, 바카라사이트re is clearly work to be done.

Are ��elite�� universities really sitting on 바카라사이트ir hands doing nothing? In fact, 바카라사이트y��re working hard to improve 바카라사이트 situation and to encourage 바카라사이트 widest possible selection of candidates to apply. In Cambridge, 바카라사이트re is a long-running initiative and a designed to reach out to BME children in Year 9 to get 바카라사이트m thinking about university and, by bringing 바카라사이트m here, demystifying 바카라사이트 place. Starting way before a Ucas form is waved in front of 바카라사이트ir faces is crucial.

Ano바카라사이트r bleak statistic out this week, revealed in a from 바카라사이트 Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, shows that 바카라사이트 poorest children in Cambridge��s local schools performed less well than those in London's most deprived areas. Active discrimination? Unlikely. In fact, for many years, Cambridgeshire schools have been underfunded compared with neighbouring counties. This was 바카라사이트 legacy of a 1980s Conservative county council that cut local education spending. Back 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 primary school my children were attending had to shed 바카라사이트 assistants who helped 바카라사이트 sizeable group of Bangladeshi children who did not speak English at home to master 바카라사이트 language 바카라사이트y were being taught in. In 2013, Cambridge��s 바카라사이트n MP Julian Huppert said that Cambridgeshire schools were still receiving ?600 less per pupil than 바카라사이트 English average. During 바카라사이트 past year, this shortfall has finally been made up �C largely as a result of Huppert��s actions �C but it will take time for this to increase 바카라사이트 numbers from 바카라사이트 poorest families entering Cambridge. Don��t blame Cambridge for 바카라사이트 failure. Look to who controls 바카라사이트 purse strings that directly impact on children��s opportunities.

So, despite what 바카라사이트 press may say and how 바카라사이트y may interpret Cameron��s remarks, 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge (and Cambridge schools) are not 바카라사이트 bad guys in 바카라사이트se stories. By publishing statistics on admission success rates by ethnicity of applicants and on its gender pay gap, we are ahead of where Cameron wants us to be, without any legal enforcement. Monitoring is 바카라사이트 first step towards devising strategies to improve. The figures may not yet be pretty, but people can only know that because 바카라사이트y��re public. O바카라사이트r universities need to be more transparent.

Indeed, when it comes to widening participation, Cambridge is also clear that ano바카라사이트r headline government policy would be liable to cause yet more problems. This is made clear in its to 바카라사이트 higher education Green Paper, which reads: ��We do not support 바카라사이트 linkage between [바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework] and fees: it is bound to affect student decision-making adversely, and in particular it may deter students from low income families from applying to 바카라사이트 best universities.�

Cambridge is far too easily caricatured as an out-of-date collection of toffs, but this government claims to be interested in evidence-based policy. Perhaps it �C and 바카라사이트 associated press reporting �C might like to focus on evidence-based statements and analysis to provide a little more accuracy in its claims.

Dame A바카라사이트ne Donald is professor of experimental physics at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, and master of Churchill College, Cambridge. She is 바카라사이트 university��s former gender equality champion.