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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think the schools should've accepted this?

81 replies

bingbangbing · 30/12/2019 16:22

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/snubbed-donor-offers-his-bursaries-for-poor-white-boys-to-state-schools-5h7hzbbn9

In a way, I can see why they refused. It would take one boy of colour applying and they would be in trouble.

However, there is very definitely a problem with the attainment of white working class boys on low incomes.

I get the impression that he was almost trying to recreate the old assisted places scheme on a small scale.

Ideally, state schools would all be really good and private schools totally unnecessary. Sadly that isn't the case.

I have a son and I'm worried for his future in the local schools.

OP posts:
tallulahwullah · 01/01/2020 19:06

Stormzy has donated to Cambridge for poor black boys only!
So there should be a poor white boys fund also?! Positive discrimination the world has gone mad!

malylis · 01/01/2020 20:16

No he hasn't just donated to poor black boys only, he will pay a scholarship to two black students a year.

There are plenty of scholarships for universities that put conditions on ethnicity and religion and in fact many that put conditions on that make it virtually impossible that anyone other than a white British person will get it.

White boys are not being unfairly left out.

PeakingDuck · 02/01/2020 02:44

Interesting article by Trevor Phillips

standpointmag.co.uk/issues/december-2019-january-2020/guilt-makes-fools-of-the-exam-passing-classes/

malylis · 02/01/2020 05:38

The article is crap, another wailing load of rubbish that being "woke" is limiting options for white british boys.

He even manipulates the figures about white students being under represented, they are of course the majority but white British students make up over 66 percent of all students (note British not Irish or any other natjonality) the ISC notes that this trend is broadly in line with national figures. The whole point he then goes on to make about "white privilege"is shit too because doesn't he portrays these figures as whites being under represented. They aren't white British students are slightly under represented but this is easily explained by the presence of a larger number of students whose parents are not British and live overseas (5.4 percent) than UK state schools. Add this figure in to the mix and it actually shows in comparison to the state sector British children of an ethnic background are under represented in private schools. Also, as we know, more than half of the scholarships/busaries awarded go to families who pay more than half the fees, the key data he misses out here (and the ISC don't report on) is ethnicity of those receiving support, which is most likely to be overwhelmingly white.

Again repeatedly comparing other scholarships at universities is erroneous as said previously many of these are targeted specifically at certain groups and make up.

White working class boys are not under achieving because they have a lack of opportunity or they have recieved less funding than minorities students or because we are improving equality for others. Two thirds of children in reciept of PP and FSM are white, and significant schemes have operated for years to improve the attainment of these students. There is also the need to note the fact that these figures aren't always honestly reported, black students and others groups still under perform. but, this isn't mentioned.

Its also important to note one other important part of the data, ethnic minorities are more likely to be grouped in cities where as white working classes dominate rural and deindustrialised areas. White working class students in cities perform significantly better than their counter parts in these other areas. This means that accurate comparison is harder (is it mainly ethnic disparities or regional?).

In the end Trevor Phillips has conflated many issues together in order to appear anti "woke". Its crap.

malylis · 02/01/2020 05:40

btw I dont remember anyone jumping around and making a fuss when city university started a bursary for white men from working class backgrounds.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 02/01/2020 16:38

There was an entire college at Oxford for high church Anglicans at one point. Not so long ago, either, as Oxford measures time.

And there was another college founded in 1899 intended for "the sons of working men", however that was properly defined! (Denis Skinner was there, and Clement Attlee and John Prescott.) But it isn't part of the University of Oxford proper, it's a sort of extra, so it isn't in the lists of Oxford Colleges.

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