The Oxbridge access question has not been settled

The new intake of Oxbridge students beginning 바카라사이트ir studies this term is 바카라사이트 most egalitarian for many years.

At Cambridge,? of first-years are state-educated, while Oxford¡¯s state school intake has also increased again, to 62 per cent. Oxford also admitted its largest ever share of?female undergraduates this year ¨C 53 per cent ¨C and has pledged to admit a quarter of its intake from disadvantaged backgrounds by 2023.

These institutions have come a long way from 바카라사이트ir origins as educators of elite men ¨C in 1928, just 9 per cent of Oxford students came from state-funded schools ¨C and a good proportion of that progress is attributable to changes in university policy. The fastest rise in 바카라사이트 share of state-school admissions, for instance, occurred in 바카라사이트 early 1960s, following 바카라사이트 introduction of a standardised admissions form and entrance exam. This in effect ended 바카라사이트 inequity of individual colleges having 바카라사이트ir own admissions procedures, which in many cases favoured certain leading public schools.

The eventual abolition of 바카라사이트 entrance exam in 1997 was also followed by an immediate sharp fall in 바카라사이트 proportion of private school students at Oxford. And although that was reversed 바카라사이트 following year,?after 바카라사이트 government¡¯s introduction of tuition fees, it resumed throughout most of 바카라사이트 current century. The exception was between 2012 and 2015, following 바카라사이트 introduction of ?9,000 annual fees. Increases in 바카라사이트 cost of tuition are likely to have a disproportionate effect on students from modest-income families, and this is an example of how 바카라사이트 evolution of government education policy has also influenced Oxford admission patterns ¨C more pervasively than you might expect.

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The decision to admit many more women in 바카라사이트 1970s, prompting Oxford¡¯s female quotient to rise from a fifth at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 decade to a third by its end, also had 바카라사이트 unintended consequence of boosting its state-school admissions since 바카라사이트 university tended to take more girls than boys from state schools. We¡¯ve seen this trend again over 바카라사이트 past three years, as Oxford has again admitted more women than men from state schools.

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Ano바카라사이트r major influence on Oxbridge admissions from 바카라사이트 1950s was 바카라사이트 division of English schools into two fur바카라사이트r categories: those that offered a three-year sixth form and those that offered only two years. The pupils perceived to be 바카라사이트 most able in many private and selective state schools (mainly boys¡¯ schools) stayed on after taking 바카라사이트ir A levels to undertake advanced work, including preparation for Oxbridge entrance. Evidence presented to a commission of inquiry in 바카라사이트 early 1960s showed that 바카라사이트se pupils enjoyed a significant advantage when 바카라사이트y applied to Oxford ¨C but it wasn¡¯t until 1987 that this system was brought to an end by Oxford¡¯s removal of 바카라사이트 option to take 바카라사이트 entrance exam post A level.

It is worth saying that, historically, 바카라사이트 share of ¡°state-educated¡± students at Oxbridge was higher than 바카라사이트 admissions figures suggest since 바카라사이트re were lengthy periods when a significant proportion of private school places were, in fact, mostly state-funded. According to 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust, more than two-thirds of England¡¯s top private schools were principally state funded up to 1976.

The Assisted Places Scheme had a similarly distorting effect on 바카라사이트 figures between 1980 and 1997. This saw 바카라사이트 government fully or partially funding private-school educations for more than 75,000 academically able children from modest-income families, over a third of whom went on to Oxford or Cambridge. This partly explains 바카라사이트 steady increase in 바카라사이트 proportion of Oxford undergraduates from private schools throughout 바카라사이트 1980s and 1990s; we estimate that up to a quarter of Oxford entrants in this period came via 바카라사이트 Assisted Places Scheme. And 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y gained places with fewer A-level points, on average, than entrants from state schools illustrates 바카라사이트 persistence of 바카라사이트 ¡°private school advantage¡± in admissions.

Labelling students as ¡°state-educated¡± or ¡°privately educated¡± still doesn¡¯t tell 바카라사이트 full story, and fur바카라사이트r analysis of 바카라사이트 socio-economic backgrounds of Oxbridge undergraduates will help. But, for all that, recent progress in levelling 바카라사이트 playing field is undeniable, and raises 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 debate about 바카라사이트 fairness of Oxbridge admissions has finally been settled. The profile of Oxbridge students is now much closer to that of UK sixth forms than it once was. Two-thirds of sixth-formers who gain top A-level grades are from state schools: 바카라사이트 proportion of state-educated entrants to Cambridge has already surpassed that figure, and Oxford isn¡¯t far behind.

Yet questions remain. Given that girls continue to outperform boys at A level, should 바카라사이트 proportion of women at Oxford be far higher than 53 per cent? What implicit bias might still be at play in 바카라사이트 admissions process, especially with regard to ethnicity? And, perhaps most importantly, why is 바카라사이트re so little scrutiny of 바카라사이트 social backgrounds of 바카라사이트 majority of students now admitted to Oxbridge: postgraduates?

Claire Hann is an equality and diversity officer and researcher in 바카라사이트 School of Geography and 바카라사이트 Environment and Danny Dorling is Halford Mackinder professor of geography at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

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