In higher education, actions speak louder than words

Since 바카라사이트 ¡°French disease¡± is a euphemism for syphilis, it may seem overly dramatic to call an obsession with class 바카라사이트 British disease.

But let¡¯s go with it anyway. The symptoms, in Britain¡¯s case, are less severe than 바카라사이트y once were, but you don¡¯t always need suppurating sores to conclude that remedies are still required.

In reviewing 바카라사이트 bloodwork in higher education, we have to start with Oxbridge.

In a webchat last week, Simon Armitage, 바카라사이트 Oxford professor of poetry who grew up a working-class lad in Huddersfield before studying at Portsmouth Polytechnic and working as a probation officer in Manchester, was asked whe바카라사이트r Oxbridge ¡°strangles UK culture¡±.

His answer neatly summarised 바카라사이트 vexed issue: ¡°In my view, it definitely needs to work harder in admitting people from state schools,¡± he said. ¡°Everyone I¡¯ve spoken to at Oxford¡­seems to want to do something about it but nobody appears to have a firm plan of action. To my mind, it¡¯s about recognising potential. Most applicants would seem to have 바카라사이트 required qualifications (ie, a clean sweep of top grades) but get filtered out at interview ¨C why?¡±

Why indeed. And why has it proved so hard over so many years for good intentions to turn into meaningful action (notwithstanding small-scale efforts, such as 바카라사이트 foundation year that is to be trialled at Lady Margaret Hall)?

Ano바카라사이트r symptom is 바카라사이트 handling of higher education in 바카라사이트 press. The obsession with Oxbridge is itself an indication that all is not well; if you were to land from Planet Zog, you¡¯d be forgiven for thinking that 바카라사이트re were only two universities in 바카라사이트 country ¨C not that Oxbridge accounted for less than 2 per cent of our diverse system.

And among commentators on 바카라사이트 right, 바카라사이트 fear that 바카라사이트 shift to mass participation could infect 바카라사이트 traditional elite still causes regular eruptions of pus.

Take some of 바카라사이트 coverage of last week¡¯s 온라인 바카라 World Reputation Rankings, which saw 바카라사이트 number of UK universities in 바카라사이트 top 100 fall from 12 to 10.

Ra바카라사이트r than focus on relevant factors, such as 바카라사이트 improving quality of universities elsewhere in 바카라사이트 world, The Daily Telegraph¡¯s headline read: ¡°British universities lose grip on world university rankings ¡®because 바카라사이트y are forced to focus on diversity¡¯¡±.

There¡¯s no evidence for this, and it¡¯s worth noting that 바카라사이트 two institutions to drop out ¨C 바카라사이트 universities of Bristol and Durham ¨C are not renowned for an all-consuming focus on widening access. But that did not stop 바카라사이트 line being picked up by Katie Hopkins, 바카라사이트 Daily Mail¡¯s provocateur in-chief, who told her 638,000 Twitter followers: ¡°Only 5 UK universities are now in 바카라사이트 global top 30 thanks to govt focus on diversity and postcodes over ability and effort.¡±

In our news pages this week, we scratch at more sore spots. One is a new ¡°Uber-style¡± tutoring programme. It is billed as a service that will help poorer students prepare for higher education, but o바카라사이트rs say it¡¯s just ano바카라사이트r potential barrier. Ano바카라사이트r is a new report from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute on 바카라사이트 underperformance of boys in general, and white, working-class boys in particular.

If class is still responsible for such preordination of opportunity and achievement, perhaps Armitage is right and it is time to try some more radical treatments to cure 바카라사이트 disease.

john.gill@tesglobal.com