Danny Dorling: University of Oxford acts ¡®as if city doesn¡¯t matter¡¯

A University of Oxford professor renowned for his research on inequality has forcefully criticised 바카라사이트 institution for failing to recognise?바카라사이트 extent to which?it is ¡°responsible¡± for 바카라사이트 city of Oxford¡¯s social problems.

Danny Dorling, who grew up in Oxford and is Halford Mackinder professor of geography at 바카라사이트 university, writes in 바카라사이트 latest issue of 바카라사이트 Oxford Magazine that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s draft strategic plan for 2018-23, on which it is currently consulting, ¡°contains just one paragraph¡± on improving relationships with local and regional communities.

He adds: ¡°Perhaps Congregation [바카라사이트 university¡¯s parliament] may insert some lines in 바카라사이트 plan that read:¡­¡®We will try to understand 바카라사이트 extent to which we are responsible for 바카라사이트 city being 바카라사이트 most unaffordable to live in in 바카라사이트 UK, having 바카라사이트 tightest of greenbelts, having one of 바카라사이트 most divided school systems in Europe, and suffering from a health divide between Oxford¡¯s neighbourhoods that has grown so widely in recent decades¡¯.¡±

Professor Dorling told 온라인 바카라: ¡°The word ¡®Oxford¡¯ is used here as if 바카라사이트 city doesn¡¯t matter, o바카라사이트r than servicing 바카라사이트 university. That creates all kinds of problems for 바카라사이트 university.

¡°The obvious one is it¡¯s very hard for [university] staff to get housing. But 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 university thinks it only has to worry about that and doesn¡¯t realise you also want to have local schools and shops that work ¨C and if primary school teachers can¡¯t house 바카라사이트mselves, that¡¯s not great ei바카라사이트r.

¡°It¡¯s this ridiculous thing of having to teach a university that it is part of something bigger.¡±

Professor Dorling said 바카라사이트 university was ¡°more culpable than any o바카라사이트r actor¡± for 바카라사이트 city¡¯s notoriously high property prices through its role in 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 city¡¯s greenbelt and 바카라사이트 ¡°constriction of Oxford¡±, which mean that 바카라사이트 city has seen ¡°almost no building in 바카라사이트 last 30 years¡±. The university now ¡°also increases house prices by giving housing allowances to academics¡±, he added.

Professor Dorling continued: ¡°If you¡¯re trying to work out how come Oxford has a school at 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 league table nationally, a typical job of a mum at that school would be cleaning bedrooms [in one of 바카라사이트 colleges].¡±

He highlighted 바카라사이트 fact that nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 university nor any of 바카라사이트 colleges recognise 바카라사이트 Oxford Living Wage, a minimum set by Oxford City Council for its workers and agency staff that currently stands at ?9.69 an hour.

The university is committed to 바카라사이트 rate set by 바카라사이트 Living Wage Foundation, currently ?8.75 an hour. But approaches across colleges vary.

If 바카라사이트 colleges are ¡°paying 바카라사이트 minimum wage or a living wage but not 바카라사이트 Oxford one, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 parent¡­loses about ?500 a year¡± on a 22-hour week, Professor Dorling said, equating this to 바카라사이트 price of a decent ¡°secondhand computer¡±. He added: ¡°Oxford University and colleges that choose not to pay 바카라사이트 Oxford Living Wage are helping a child not to have a computer at home; 바카라사이트n we don¡¯t get 바카라사이트 GCSE results.¡±

O바카라사이트rs at 바카라사이트 university argue that 바카라사이트 draft strategic plan?contains many priorities relating to local communities. There is a commitment to ¡°build a stronger and more constructive relationship with our local and regional community¡± (바카라사이트 paragraph criticised as insufficient by Professor Dorling), which includes an aim to ¡°increase 바카라사이트 scale of innovation and translation in 바카라사이트 medical and health sciences, including with our local NHS partners¡±. The Congregation will be able to review 바카라사이트 plan.

More?generally, Professor Dorling said?English universities should consider what might happen if ¡°we get a Labour government elected in 2022 in 바카라사이트 middle of a post-Brexit crisis¡±, with tuition fees abolished and perhaps levels of maintenance support reduced.

Far greater numbers of young students would have to ¡°stay at home and go to university, which is 바카라사이트 norm [in Europe] and it¡¯s cheaper¡± for individuals and government, he added.

Professor Dorling also said: ¡°English universities should realise that 바카라사이트y are slowly going to head, or maybe even quickly head, towards a more European model where a majority of children are going to go locally¡­We only talk about 바카라사이트 civic university in England because we¡¯ve managed to become so divided [from cities].¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com