Are Londoners more intelligent?

[tothinkofsomething]

My Dad made a big thing when we moved out of London ( Zone 6 type expensive green Commuter belt area). We moved into North Hampshire. He basically was saying that outside the magical barrier of the M25 that the level of education is a lot lower. My Dc are just at the start of their school journeys and I have nothing to compare to. But his thoughts were that if my DC was top of their class in Hampshire that would be lower than in London. I'm guessing this depends on area of London? Also our estate agent said we shouldn't move out as we would struggle to get back in.

Most applicants to Oxford and Cambridge are from London, none are from north of Birmingham. Fact.

How do you mark intelligence?

@LynetteScavo

Most applicants to Oxford and Cambridge are from London, none are from north of Birmingham. Fact.

Do you think that might have something to do with the large number of private schools there rather than some magical increase in intelligence by geographical borders or perhaps the fact there are wealthier people there? I'm not sure what your 'fact' actually proves.

@LynetteScavo

Most applicants to Oxford and Cambridge are from London, none are from north of Birmingham. Fact.

Oh wait - were you being sarcastic? if so I need more coffee

@tothinkofsomething

I'm talking generally, general level of intelligence, obviously there are intelligent people living all over. Is there statistics on this ?

Some of us are not lucky/unlucky enough to have been born in London. If you had of put opportunities you may have got different responses.

@tttigress I agree Covid will shift a lot of things!

Of course Londoners are more intelligent. I grew up in Greater London and I always hid the fact that I was technically born in Surrey at our cheese and wine parties, lest someone banish me to the scullery or send me to work on a distant farm. I've had to have several people who knew of my true background executed.

I'm not a snob about it though- I try to make friends in whichever part of the U.K I travel to. Last time was a disaster. I tried to take my new non-London friends to an art gallery (after explaining what an art gallery was to them). Sadly, they didn't understand that the paintings weren't real and they started furrowing their brows and bashing the pictures with their fists in a vain attempt to 'free' the people trapped in the painting. We all got asked to leave the gallery and I can never return.

That's one of the stupidest things I've ever read in here Your dad is clearly a bit thick

Oh OP, you silly sausage

Londoners showed their absence of intelligence by voting Remain.

If that had happened no one would have been vaccinated by now.

I have no idea if this is true apart from the big companies are in London and hire the best. I do know groups tend to “norm” so in some places other things might be valued than educational achievement. I was trying to move to the East - think Norfolk/Essex etc and the one thing that stood out was how many schools there required improvement or were in special measures. It was what made me decide to stay where I was. Why? No idea. I’m guessing that those special
Measures would translate to
Lower exam grades further down the line though.

In London you have the option of visiting all the museums and cultural events, so kids can just learn a bit more without realising that they're learning. Doesn't mean you can't do that without being in London, but it can be a bit harder.

I envy you. There are no cultural events or museums here at all. It's very tough.

Bloody Cambridge, it's all chip shops and bookies.

@netflixandthrill

Of course Londoners are more intelligent. I grew up in Greater London and I always hid the fact that I was technically born in Surrey at our cheese and wine parties, lest someone banish me to the scullery or send me to work on a distant farm. I've had to have several people who knew of my true background executed.

I'm not a snob about it though- I try to make friends in whichever part of the U.K I travel to. Last time was a disaster. I tried to take my new non-London friends to an art gallery (after explaining what an art gallery was to them). Sadly, they didn't understand that the paintings weren't real and they started furrowing their brows and bashing the pictures with their fists in a vain attempt to 'free' the people trapped in the painting. We all got asked to leave the gallery and I can never return.

It’s true- I was the person bashing the painting.

It depends on which part of London I would suppose? Certain areas I would assume have a higher % of intelligent people, based on requiring a certain amount of money, and a certain amount of money being earned by intelligent, educated people but across the whole city?
Nope. I don't believe so.

Intelligence isnt a light that gets dimmer the further away from Big Ben you are.

By the very fact that your father believes this, he is disproving his own theory.

@Crossaintqueen That made me chuckle.

netflixandthrill

brilliant!

I’m in awe at the absurd idea that people who regularly visit museums and art galleries are more intelligent than those who don’t, it brings to mind Lincoln’s words :
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and to remove all doubt.

@TriflePudding

I'm glad you liked it. Admittedly, I haven't read the full thread, but I assume you must be a fellow Londoner if you are using big words like 'absurd' and quoting Lincoln.

OP I do have similar worries about leaving London! not so much about intelligence but about being liberal, open-minded and cultured. We want to move this year to get more space but I’m worried about the “small town” mentality and not being able to make friends so easily

As soon as I get as far south as Luton, I can really feel the IQ gradient kicking in.

I've never had the intellectual oomph to scramble all the way up to the summit of highbrow pondering that is London.

I can but dream of reaching those heady heights one day.

@tothinkofsomething

My Dad made a big thing when we moved out of London ( Zone 6 type expensive green Commuter belt area). We moved into North Hampshire. He basically was saying that outside the magical barrier of the M25 that the level of education is a lot lower. My Dc are just at the start of their school journeys and I have nothing to compare to. But his thoughts were that if my DC was top of their class in Hampshire that would be lower than in London. I'm guessing this depends on area of London? Also our estate agent said we shouldn't move out as we would struggle to get back in.

It’s not as simple as either suggest. Having taught in London and outside. I have taught top sets outside London that would have been set 2 or 3 inside London. Both in relatively disadvantaged areas. There is some element of truth in terms of outcomes, London schools tend to get better outcomes for their students even when you remove socioeconomic factors. That isn’t saying children outside of London are stupid or even that teachers are better though. In my experience children in disadvantaged areas outside of London are less likely to interact with people from a wide range of backgrounds and that is likely to be the cause of better outcomes for London schools.

🤣🤣🤣 I think you’ve just answered your own question by making this thread. My family is from a deprived area in the north east. We all have undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications as do all our partners who come from different countries. You make your own opportunities in life, if your children are academic they will attain qualifications. If they are not academic, that does not make them unintelligent (or indeed reduce the likelihood of attaining success) and if I were you I would be very cautious in setting that example.

I forgot how much I love this thread!

In summary: No
Evidence: Your Dad

I haven’t looked into the stats - but there must be effects of brain drain and brain drain that causes parts of the country to have a higher proportion of qualified people.

Doesn’t mean that child rearing born in certain parts of the UK are mor intelligent that others, just that people with higher qualifications tend to move further.

However won’t apply smaller geographical areas baciase of commuting

@tothinkofsomething

I'm talking generally, general level of intelligence, obviously there are intelligent people living all over. Is there statistics on this ?

This cannot be a serious thread.

Sure, Oxford, Cambridge, Bath... All low iq...