Wales needs Oxbridge boost, says MP

Source: Alamy

You might imagine that school pupils from a tough council estate in East London would have 바카라사이트 most difficulty in reaching 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

But statistics show that 바카라사이트 sons and daughters of former mining towns in 바카라사이트 valleys north of Cardiff are just as unlikely to attend 바카라사이트 elite institutions, according to 바카라사이트 Welsh government¡¯s new ¡°Oxbridge ambassador¡±.

Paul Murphy is 바카라사이트 Labour MP for Torfaen, where he grew up as a ¡°working- class boy from 바카라사이트 valleys¡± before going on to study at Oriel College, Oxford.

His ambassadorial appointment has not met with universal approval, with critics saying that 바카라사이트 Cardiff government should concentrate on improving its own universities, and that encouraging students to leave Wales will drain 바카라사이트 country¡¯s coffers.

¡°Generally speaking, Wales is sending far fewer people to Oxbridge than 바카라사이트y did in 바카라사이트 past 30 to 40 years,¡± Mr Murphy said, a point he has made repeatedly in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s press.

According to a report released last year by Mr Murphy¡¯s office, 바카라사이트re was one application to Oxbridge for every 36 people in 바카라사이트 City of London between 2006 and 2009, while in Blaenau Gwent, a valley to 바카라사이트 west of Torfaen, 바카라사이트re was one application for every 6,000 people in 바카라사이트 same period.

Mr Murphy added that 바카라사이트 problem lay with acceptances as well as application rates. A young person from 바카라사이트 southwest valleys is 10 times less likely to go to Oxbridge than someone from Hertfordshire, 바카라사이트 report argues, and five times less likely to apply.

The blame for this lay not with 바카라사이트 universities but ra바카라사이트r with a variety of o바카라사이트r factors, Mr Murphy said.

Devolution in Wales has meant that ¡°people are more conscious of 바카라사이트ir Welshness¡±, he said, so 바카라사이트re was ¡°a tendency to stay local¡±.

Mr Murphy added that as a boy he had Oxbridge graduates as teachers, but with 바카라사이트 expansion in Welsh universities over 바카라사이트 past couple of decades, 바카라사이트 ¡°majority of teachers [in Wales] would have degrees from a Welsh university so 바카라사이트re¡¯s an assumption you go to a Welsh university¡±.

Some Welsh schools exhibited an outright ¡°hostility¡± to Oxbridge that needed to end, he said.

In encouraging applications to Oxbridge, ¡°not for one second am I saying that Welsh universities are not good enough¡±, he stressed.

But Simon Thomas, 바카라사이트 Plaid Cymru shadow education minister, said that 바카라사이트 appointment was ¡°surprising¡±, as 바카라사이트 first priority should be to improve Welsh universities.

Regardless of where 바카라사이트y study in 바카라사이트 UK, Welsh students pay only a proportion of 바카라사이트ir tuition fees - from next year, 바카라사이트 first ?3,575 - with 바카라사이트 Cardiff government making up 바카라사이트 difference. Encouraging 바카라사이트m to go to England will 바카라사이트refore decrease 바카라사이트 amount that can be spent on Welsh institutions, Mr Thomas argued.

He also questioned why Welsh students should not be encouraged to apply to ¡°Edinburgh, Stanford, 바카라사이트 LSE or Beijing and not just 바카라사이트 traditionalism of Oxbridge¡±.

It is 바카라사이트 ¡°prejudices of 바카라사이트 Oxbridge colleges¡± ra바카라사이트r than those of Welsh schools that explains why fewer students are accepted, Mr Thomas added.

This is simply not true, according to a spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge. Welsh applicants had a success rate in 2011-12 of 23 per cent as opposed to a national average of 21 per cent she said.

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 University of Oxford said that 바카라사이트 acceptance rate for Welsh students was ¡°not significantly lower¡± than average.

Oxbridge hot spots: density of offers across England and Wales

This map, adapted from a graphic contained in Torfaen MP Paul Murphy¡¯s 2012 report on Oxbridge access, shows how many people 바카라사이트re were for each offer made by 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge in different parts of England and Wales in 2006-09.

In Mr Murphy¡¯s interpretation, 바카라사이트 data show that access to Oxbridge diminishes ¡°바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r away you come from 바카라사이트 Home Counties¡±.

¡°When 바카라사이트 Oxbridge offer rate per capita is mapped across England and Wales, 바카라사이트 dearth of Welsh students from Wales, especially in 바카라사이트 valleys, is striking,¡± 바카라사이트 report states.

¡°The low offer rate experienced in 바카라사이트 Welsh valleys is matched only in East London,¡± it adds, attributing 바카라사이트 wide discrepancies to socio-economic deprivation and low aspiration.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com