Lord Adonis wants Oxbridge to set up colleges for poor kids

[noblegiraffe]

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/09/oxford-cambridge-colleges-state-school-students

Presumably so the other colleges can concentrate on the rich ones.

[NiceViper]

He's a Tony Crony, nuff said

[BasiliskStare]

Well - and I realise this is off topic so please anyone say if they want me to pull this off the thread - Andrew was always more Andrew than Adonis.

Selective schools ( independent or not) are going to get more ( whether Oxbridge or not) more places at highly regarded and selective universities , because they are selective , so chosen the brighter children.

There was a very very interesting post which I cannot find and I wish I could. If anyone knows it - it was an article about a number of tutors discussing who should get a place and one candidate - they said X won't be able to keep up. so sadly we should not offer X a place. I must google this - it was a poignant and interesting article.

Not sure having different colleges is the way to go. I think greater access and information from schools - but there you go ( motherhood and apple pie) I am not a university lecturer nor involved in outreach. But confidence to apply I would say and then some knowledge of different applicants experience. But what do I know.

& by the way I would say that for a great many universities - not just Oxford and Cambridge which make great headline news but do not corner the market in a very very very good tertiary education.

[Bekabeech]

Bad idea, not great to create ghettos.

However at Oxford at least there is a great deal of interest in creating more foundation years, as well as increasing other widening participation schemes, including ones that start with working with Primary schools.

[AtiaoftheJulii]

However at Oxford at least there is a great deal of interest in creating more foundation years

I haven't heard that other colleges have plans, but it could be interesting if true. LMH only take about 10 students on their foundation year though (last year 9 out of the 10 got offers) - limits on resources still apply - so it's only going to make a small difference unless there was a huge movement towards them.

Realised that neither Adonis nor PPs have mentioned that actually a month ago, a new graduate college was announced.
www.ox.ac.uk/news/2018-12-07-oxford-unveils-plans-new-graduate-college

[AtiaoftheJulii]

UNIQ has increased its places on offer by over 50% this year, because the data from that does show that it has an effect on proportions of state school applications (and admissions I assume). Things are changing, which is why people like marytuda are so infuriating!

[marytuda]

Just thought I would check back in here. .I am delighted to hear how much has changed at Oxbridge since my day and indeed some news yesterday seemed to bear that out:
www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jan/15/london-state-school-brampton-manor-41-students-offered-oxbridge-place?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
And my DC’s own school which I’d assumed to be the kind of inner City comp from which most high achievers preferred London colleges, is thrilled to announce 6 Oxbridge offers this year mostly science I suspect, certainly a record for a small 6th form only 3 or 4 years old I believe. So happy to stand corrected.
But even my day (78 - 81 would you credit it!) state school students numbered around 50% of Oxbridge intake or not much below - so a big minority at worst. But where were they? I barely saw them at the mostly arty clubs and theatre groups I attempted to join in my first year. . . All dominated by super-confident, super competent, terrifyingly brilliant private schoolkids (Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie etc . .To name the most of the most, but there were plenty more; Nicholas Hytner, Ed Stourton etc etc.. . I crossed paths with them all, but they would not even have remembered me then, why should they? I barely spoke.)
Where were those 50% other state school kids like me? Well, they stayed in their rooms, worked hard, occasionally went to pub with couple of equally untrendy mates, and kept clear of the glam societies, and that’s what I did too from then on. Except I barely even made it to the pub.