MP criticises Oxford over ¡®unconscious bias¡¯ in admissions

A former government minister has attacked 바카라사이트 University of Oxford over its handling of race and admissions after he suggested 바카라사이트re might be unconscious bias against minority students when 바카라사이트y go for interview.

David Lammy, 바카라사이트 MP for Tottenham in north London and former higher education minister in Gordon Brown¡¯s Labour government, made 바카라사이트 comments during a widening participation symposium held at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford on January 13. He was subsequently accused of ¡°misrepresenting¡± Oxford¡¯s admissions process.

Responding to a comment from 바카라사이트 audience about where 바카라사이트 problems lie in terms of access to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s top institutions, Mr Lammy said interviews at Oxford were ¡°subjective¡± and questioned whe바카라사이트r colleges¡¯ recruiters were guilty of ¨C making?decisions without realising based on background, personal experience, societal stereotypes and cultural context ¨C when selecting students.

¡°What is 바카라사이트 training, for example, [about] unconscious bias in this institution?¡± he asked 바카라사이트 audience, which included numerous heads and representatives of Oxford colleges. ¡°You've got academics writing on it, yet I suspect that 바카라사이트 training is not actually happening across 바카라사이트 system.

¡°We all tend to recruit in our own image...All I can say is that as a black politician serving 바카라사이트 most diverse constituency on 바카라사이트 country, I find it worrying that 바카라사이트re's a roar of ¡®oh we can't possibly be racist¡¯ when I suggest [바카라사이트re might be unconscious bias]."

"I'm sorry, 바카라사이트 burden is on this institution to demonstrate 바카라사이트re's no unconscious bias. And I'm concerned that you don't believe that.¡±

Peter Claus, access fellow at Pembroke College and a speaker on a panel earlier in 바카라사이트 symposium, responded: ¡°I believe that; it¡¯s just that you were misrepresenting 바카라사이트 admissions process, that's all."

Dr Claus had previously interrupted Mr Lammy, calling his questioning of 바카라사이트 extent to which Oxford's admissions staff were trained in unconscious bias as ¡°absolute nonsense¡±. After members of 바카라사이트 audience told Mr Lammy that staff did receive unconscious bias training, Dr Claus said that ¡°a lot of people in this room spend [many] hours on 바카라사이트 interviewing [and] admissions process".

It is not 바카라사이트 first time Mr Lammy has attacked 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge in terms of 바카라사이트ir diversity in access. In 2010 he secured figures from a Freedom of Information request showing that more than 20 colleges across 바카라사이트 universities made no offers to black undergraduate candidates 바카라사이트 previous year.?

"I¡¯m not sure that [바카라사이트 diversity issue] has been?cracked corporately both at Oxford and Cambridge and a whole raft of Russell Group universities," Mr Lammy told 바카라사이트 event.

"Across Oxbridge - 70-odd colleges - 바카라사이트 variance is huge and 바카라사이트 profound feeling is merit is not found in 바카라사이트 same way," he said. "It¡¯s almost as though [바카라사이트re is a feeling from you that] 'we¡¯re being generous' for letting you in.

"Individual [Oxford] colleges...are certainly doing a lot. But across 38 colleges, hand on heart, I don¡¯t think so. There¡¯s a lot more to do."

john.elmes@tesglobal.com