Can anyone prove their parents didn't go to uni?

..and now that we know who the expert on this issue is on this forum that is me signing out. Job done.

Jesus the ego

...and now that we know who the expert on this issue is on this forum that is me signing out. Job done.

Yeah well you've found one of the two. by not pming me, now you have put my anonymity at risk, but I honestly think I don't care much about that at the moment.
The other book is right below it.
Writing the book didn't make me an expert. I am loathe to call myself an expert, but what proved to me that I had something to contribute was the fact that others asked me to write the book, or suggested others might benefit from it. However it has had some success and all those who have contacted me about it, which is a high proportion, have been positive about it. In fact I am about to see if specialist educational publishers might be interested in it because frankly promoting it is not my thing. All I want to do is help people and the rest is just a bit yuck. But thanks for confirming that at least it can be found.

@Xenia, everyone is entitled to their views and their votes. I am a bit surprised you are in the minority, judging by the number of posters who send their DCs to independent schools as opposed to those who don't.
Agree hugely that the broadbrush approach is bound to cause problems. Much like trying to apply various tax regimes, some will always find loopholes and ways of getting round them.

@whostolemypumpkin i would not dream of asking you to quote the titles of my books, just interested to see if they are findable as others have had difficulties.
I'd be obliged if you would pm them so I can check if indeed they are the right ones.

@titchy never said that YOUwere part of the right-wing elite, especially now you have explained what you do. That makes you a top person as far as I am concerned, despite the personal attacks. You have an unenviable job in choosing applicants. As I used to have the job of trying to make my students the sort of candidates you would make offers to, which was difficult sometimes but not unenviable, I loved it. Was I so wrong to try and give them the best chance possible?

It's awful that someone who had been given opportunities would feel the need to lie about this

I must admit I momentarily considered ticking that box. I did an OU degree whilst caring for a disabled child. I also did a masters part time at a red brick, but only attended about 20% of contact due to caring responsibilities.

We are in Northern Ireland. I am low income due to being a carer. DS goes to a school that isn't in a deprived postcode. I rent (on HB) a house in a non-deprived area, although we are in receipt of FSM. If I ticked the first time uni box DS could be eligible to go to residential summer schools on a bursary, receive contextual offers and other perks that I can't afford otherwise. Essentially he is disadvantaged because I got a degree.

Cola, I don't think I quoted Blair. I said Blair sent his children to a RC state school (and he then used tutors from Westminster School) and indeed his son ended up at Bristol when my daughter was there.

I agree Corbyn's policy is not the same as Blair's and I did not say it was. However both he and Corbyn went to fee paying schools and although Corbyn apparently divorced his wife because she sent their child so a better state school than he wanted (and who can blame her!) Blair was not as "pure" in that sense as he did not divorce his Catholic wife when she chose a better school based on her religion and he stuck with her. I suppose which is the better moral position in that case - your life long marriage vow or your determination to stick to the socialist cause even when it damages your children.

Stanley, I am in the minority on MN in voting Conservative actually. I don't think you need to worry about having views different from that. I just try to chip in to make sure all sides are heard but on many threads I am the only Tory supporter and as I said I am not against some consideration of exceptional children in poor schools which the universities have always considered. It is just the wholesale schemes that could end up unfairly applied if they are too broadbrush.

People like me who try to redress the balance of inequality from birth get put downs etc.

And people like me and several other posters on this thread who have explained, from the point of view of the universities, what we do, with what aim, and reassure parents that in fact such initiatives do generally target the right people and parents shouldn't worry that their child is at an unfair disadvantage, or missing out on something they're entitled to because another student has lied about their background.

Not sure why that makes me and other posters the right-wing elite.

Xenia - always top of the class

@Xenia Blair definitely didn't say that.

While he was a leader of the Labour party his version of socialism is far different to that of Corbyn and the current lot in charge.

@titchy you are right, the more I read posts, especially on this thread the more I realise that right-wing elitist views prevail, and somehow they always have some sort of an excuse for them. People like me who try to redress the balance of inequality from birth get put downs etc. Call that "reading the room" if you like.
Won't stop me posting though.
By the way, comments that begin with "you should.." "you purport to be.." "I told you..." Who the HELL do you think you are? My mother?

I didn’t even realise that ds1 MIGHT be eligible for something cos he was the first to go to uni

Then it turned out that They also means tested in his uni...so it didnt matter that he was the first

@whostolemypumpkin can you even quote the titles of my books?
Written at the request of OTHERS, by the way. Not for self-aggrandisement. I wrote them for the benefit of others not for the money. The last thing I need!

I've written 30 books - not self published. Can I go to the top of the class! (And got 5 children into university.) Laughing as I type.....

the point about dumbing down, whichi s always a feature of socialiists, i s a good one -t hat the Corbyn wants to get rid of the fee paying schools he and McDonnell and Blair etc went to so no one can benefit from a private educational system which produces very well educated students, saves the state the cost of educating the 500,000 children who are in private schools and produces people who give a lot back to the UK. They just dislike things that are good and want everyone brought down to an identical common denominator.

I have no problems with a university looking at whether someone from a school where everyone gets bad grades who instead does very well and thre is no other expanation for that eg went to a private prep school or had coaching or tutors being given special consideration. However saying if you go to any of the 40% of worst schools means you can get in to a university with 2 grades less than others is a bit of a crude measure.

@titchy
...and you accuse me of being patronising!

Perhaps I should assume more and explain less.

You should read threads more, without comment, and for a decent period of time. You'd find there are quite a lot of MNers that know a great deal more than you on the subjects you purport to be an expert in. I told you in another thread to 'read the room'. Generally there are people here who know more than you and are better placed to advise, even if you have written a book.

Firstly I am not at all under the impression that govt pays £s to unis for inclusion. I never said it cos I know it isn't true.

Actually they do pay for some inclusion - just not first in family....

So yes, you are patronising and a mansplainer. And it rubs people up the wrong way.

@Titchy
Firstly I am not at all under the impression that govt pays £s to unis for inclusion. I never said it cos I know it isn't true.

As to my rather tough statement re Nazi Germany, this was really just a statement as to how horrible it would be if all applicants had to prove absolutely everything about themselves and their parents before being "entitled" to any help from unis in their applications, rather than simply getting the grades and doing everything necessary to be able to prove themselves in a good UCAS personal statement.
I never relied on this, as I said in another post. I just gave my students the benefit of my experience and this enabled them to "overachieve". Life is an unfair bitch, I just try to make it a bit more fair.

Sorry if you don't like my "tone". My heart is in the right place and I have no problem with strong clever women. My wife earned twice what I did and my mother was a doctor so strong women have always been part of my life. So "mansplaining"? Not really. Cannot help being born male.
Patronising? One never knows the level of knowledge of anyone reading a thread. Perhaps I should assume more and explain less.

But yes, I am sure we are all on the same side.

@Velveteenfruitbowl where do I start with you?
"@StanelySteamer so basically you think that it’s never going to be the case that everyone will get an adequate education so everyone should get a shit one?"

This is the most crass misinterpretation of what I have written on numerous threads on this forum and others that I have ever read. In fact the opposite is true. Quote EXACTLY from what I have posted that says this, if you can.You will not be able to.

Despite Ofsted, despite the poor pay and rough conditions, despite anything else that is negative in teaching in a state school in the UK, our education system is the envy of many other countries around the world. I am proud to have taught in a state school, I would never ever have taught in a private school as politically speaking I believe that children from ALL backgrounds should have a fair start in life. Some schools are rougher than others, mine was not too bad but it was creamed by both private and grammar schools in the area which made getting our students into top unis quite a bit more difficult. But we did it. As already stated I became a specialist in this field hence my previous post
.
You then go on about "it is better to have..." blahdiblahdiblah. This is complete crap. Even our ridiculously stupid government recognises that it is a good idea to have well educated people in the population.

Hilariously you then went on to underline the point I made about people in the USSR. I said "under Socialism in the old USSR where egalitarianism was supposed to be the norm, influence became the currency used by those with influence." and you then said "My family is from the USSR. They didn’t all go to medical school (most sought after degree in their city) because they were smart or somehow more deserving. They all went to medical school because their parents knew the right people."

So what were you on about...????

Then you mentioned "meritocracy", fine, in an equal society there is nothing intrinsically wrong with a meritocracy, but our society is a mixture of a plutocracy and a meritcracy, although the plutocrats always seem to find an excuse.
To me there is no excuse, to me having money and being able to buy a better education for one's children is doing down the children from poorer backgrounds. It Is NOT their fault that their parents cannot buy them into a better school or a better catchment area. To make no changes to this is to perpetuate the inequalities in our system. which is why I spent my time and energy trying to rebalance this situation. You can call me Quixotic, I don't give a shit, my conscience is clear. I did my best for my students, they "overachieved" they were grateful, their parents were grateful and all this made me happy. and it is the knowledge and experience that i pass on to others on this forum. If you have a problem with this then too bad.

But I am grateful for the acknowledgment which you weirdly put in your last sentence!

Stanley I am fully aware of the range of blunt instruments that can be and are being used. I've been doing this stuff for getting on for 30 years. Some posters, including yourself, seem to be under the impression that the Gov gives £ for first in family students - that was the group mentioned in the OP. It doesn't. Neither does it give £ for BAME students, though Access and Participation Plans must address life cycle disparities in BAME (and other groups of) students. Ethnicity is of course self-identifying - how else? Not sure what your reference to Nazi Germany is for? I'm also not advocating students prove their disadvantage - the opposite in fact - did you think I was in favour of that?

Sorry Stanley - your style of writing I find incredibly patronising and 'mansplainy'. I'm sure we're all on the same side really

Can anyone prove their parents didn't go to uni?

Have you met my mum? 😩

@titchy - Yes I valued her education hence I moved her because there is NO way she would have been in the situation she is now. The reason we opted originally for the state system was that her primary school HT stated she would perform well whatever school she attended...totally not true when you attend a school where the bright kids are bullied or not allowed to learn because of disruption in class. It takes an extremely motivated child to perform well in an underachieving school.

Likewise one of DD's friend's (Oxbridge calibre) opted to take a £4k Bursary and attend the local sixth form college (she left the private school with Straight 9'sA*'s). Predictions for A-Levels ABC - teaching/and an environment where DC want to perform is the key.

The grade difference is massive and DD's private school is BROADLY selective - but most girls tend to exceed expectations because they are in the right environment.