George going to Marlborough? Article linked.

[Greatballzoffire]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12872215/William-kate-snub-eton-george-marlborough-college-second-visit.html

I am not in disdain of Oxbridge per se. Both DH and I attended and have 2 DC there. I am merely pointing out the “intellectual privilege” it represents: I don’t really see the big difference between “asset privilege” and “intellectual privilege”. The entry process is still entirely different from most other unis and a child with no school or parental support hardly stands a chance to get through the conflated entry process.
There are still hardly any white working class boys from the regions there. I doubt I am out of date. Having visited recently it is exactly the same kind of child attending as has in the past. Not much has changed. Despite the big efforts.

Happy to be persuaded to the contrary by @goodbyestranger re Oxbridge. My reading was that it was still largely nerdy intelligent kids from educationally advantaged backgrounds of uni educated parents with a professional background who own their own homes with or without a mortgage.
Not sure how private schooling or not is even relevant. When educational privilege has always been determined by the educational advantage of the parent rather than their bank account since the 1960s. Reading, talking to your kids, playing board games, attention, good genes, good nutrition, aspiration being far more relevant than a title or bank balance.

I think you may be wrong about the overall profile Araminta1003 (barely having changed). But in terms of white working class boys from the regions I wouldn't be at all surprised if that group is less represented than it used to be when the 11+ was universal.

That last post of mine crossed with yours Araminta1003. I wasn't attempting to 'persuade' you, I was simply responding to your point. I hope I'm wrong but the statistics would be interesting/ probably depressing.

@goodbyestranger - I am merely pointing out that as a country we should learn from Brexit. The monarchy is largely revered by the working classes. It is the intellectual aspirational middle that is seen with disdain aka the professed expert. The problem in my opinion is “Oxbridge” as a concept, not the tiny Eton minority or the even tinier monarchy/outdate aristocracy. And Oxbridge is only a problem in so far as it is a gateway into politics. Of course it should be a gateway into the professions. Politics requires actual representation. This is why Boris Johnson managed to fool the general public with populism and we should learn from that. The intellectual middle class nimbyism on Mumsnet can be quite shortsighted in that regard.

I'd far rather we reversed Brexit than learned from it.

Oxbridge is still socially elitist. While the obvious inequalities have been, entirely properly, minimised, it's a far more complicated issue than just saying "If you've got the brains you can get a place."

Roussette · Today 16:59

However according to mn all of them are invariably thick and entitled
Who on earth has said that? I haven't seen it

I typed Eton & thick into search. Here are some results:

smallorange · 13/01/2009 17:53
I used to work with a bunch of guys from Eton. They would wear Eton rugby socks in the office so they could recognise a fellow old boy. Dunno if they were so thick they kept forgetting where each other went to school.

Nepotism and bribery is a long standing tradition, not just in the US but also in the UK. How else would thick as fuck Royals and Eton educated fuckwits make it to Oxbridge

I think BJ seems entirely representative of Eton, as do his cronies who seem to disproprtionately dominate positions of wealth and power despite any lack of discernable ability and integrity

TeenTimesTwo · 23/02/2018 15:39
Are there non-selective private schools at secondary level in London? if so, how do they select their non-selective intake iyswim?
ie in non PC language, Where do parents of 'rich but thick' children send their children?)
Quickerthanavicar · 23/02/2018 15:44
TeenTimesTwo Eton

CurlewKate I think it's fair to say that it's at least now at the point where Oxford and Cambridge are saying 'If you don't have the brains, you can't have a place'. Even if you have a title or - more internationally - buy a library or whatever. Which - to get back to the OP - is where I'm hoping Eton is now at too. That would be progress too.

goodbyestranger · Today 17:54

I don't derive pleasure from any kid failing any school test. That is actually a pretty weird spin of what I've said and not a reflection on me - but on you.

You said you liked the idea of the rf being told no if George fails the test. Liking something and getting pleasure from it are pretty similar aren’t they?

Minutewaltz that's about the two fingers up to the institution. The kid is collateral. It's not about him.

I also doubt the kid will be crushed. Not if the parents have managed expectations appropriately which it would have been their responsibility to do.

@Minutewaltz

You may think that refers to every child who has ever been to Eton and an opinion of every MNer. I don't.

But well done on your lengthy post and research.

Minutewaltz I hope that you're not a lawyer because that is pretty flaky as your best evidence. 2009 x 1 and 2018 x1?! Need to try harder.

But well done on your lengthy post and research

I can’t win. You say no one says all Etonians are stupid and when I find a few you make a snide comment about a ‘lengthy post’.

Goodbyestranger sorry, were only recent posts about thick Etonians allowed? From one year ago only? Or maybe two?

Come on Minutewaltz you implied it was said in this thread. I challenged you twice and you come up with a post from 2009 and another from 2018. That really couldn't be any weaker if you actually tried.

Sorry I thought you meant no one on mumsnet ever said Etonians are all thick. My mistake if you only meant this thread.

It's utterly ludicrous to use a fourteen year old post to support the assertion you made. Or even a five year old one. Come back with recent posts and I might buy into the idea. Your posts also strongly implied that the thick Etonians allegation had been made on this thread but I'm being kind here.

Ahhh ok.... I did only mean this thread as I haven't been on any other threads about Eton, and 2009 is a loooooong time ago!
So it's not a common opinion really...

Much earlier on in the thread I certainly said that a lot of independent schools have an incredibly low pass mark for these ISEB tests (not Eton). Almost illusory as selection. Malborough's is probably very low. That may therefore be a good choice for children with no obvious academic bent but who are more talented on other fronts. That's not to say parents of smart kids won't choose the school for whatever reason but it does mean that plenty who couldn't get into top schools will be admitted.

In George’s case on mn - or indeed any school age member of the Royal family - it’s an opportunity to a) point out repeatedly that members of the RF are stupid and b) all Etonians are thick (because some politicians that posters don’t like went there)

Is this the post of mine you’re referring to? I said in the first sentence ‘on mn’ meaning mumsnet in general. I’m sorry if that’s not clear.
If five year old posts are ludicrous, then how many years back could i quote posts to support my assertion?

Just stick to the views expressed on this thread maybe?

I mean George wasn't even born in 2009. Extraordinary.

And Gordon Brown was PM in 2009. And went nowhere near Eton.