To think being prejudiced against the privately educated is OK

[EastLondonObserver]

I have spent 25 years working in the advertising industry at some of the most highly regarded agencies in the world. Most of these have been dominated (in certain roles, at least) by the privately educated who gained their entry to the industry through having personal/family contacts in it, were subbed by rich parents while working in low-paid or free internships to gain experience and had that empty confidence private schools instil.

Perfectly capable graduates educated comprehensive schools didn't get much of a look in. However a few managed to break through, including myself.

Consequently, throughout my career I have actively rejected almost all privately educated graduates applying for entry level positions. This runs into hundreds of applicants. I have managed to do this without being called out. Sometimes I have rejected them even when they clearly would have done a better job than a comprehensive school educated alternative. These were corporate companies - it made no meaningful difference to me if they were mildly less successful as a consequence. The only exception was one graduate educated at Harrow and Bristol. I gave him the job as an experiment. He was average at best.

I did this in the name of social justice: re-distributing opportunities away from those with unearned privilege.

Have I been unreasonable? Has anyone else done the same?

'Networking' is something from a bygone era. 😂

OP do you know the name of every private school in the country?

How are you ensuring you're not making assumptions based on school name?

How do you feel about grammar schools? They're non fee paying, but parents spends £££ to get their kids in?

Yanbu OP, and well done. This country is unequal and corrupt from the top down, and crucially is getting worse not better. Drastic action is needed

actual lolz at all the Home Counties Tory types sticking up for their unearned privilege, and their kids’ unearned places in the world, whilst dishing out foul abuse to the OP. True colours and all that.

Google, presumably

You ok hun?

actual lolz at all the Home Counties Tory types sticking up for their unearned privilege, and their kids’ unearned places in the world, whilst dishing out foul abuse to the OP. True colours and all that
I hate to burst your bubble, but you have no idea what people's political persuasion is.

Some of us might also be left of centre and believe in meaningfully opening careers to be diverse and representative, but disagree with OP's arrogance and their total disregard for proper recruitment processes.

What is it with some left wingers who seem to thing anything other than individuals with their own social justice war must equal Tory? It's bizarre.

I secretly admire your stance OP. Its a form of positive discrimination and levelling up.
Although I accept it does sound unfair I do think privately educated kids generally have an advantage. Small classes, better facilities, more opportunities and somehow private schools also seem.to instill self esteem and confidence into their pupils.
Parents who educate their DC privately know how to gain best advantage for their DC, for example paying for extra tuition, extra curricular activities, financially supporting them during unpaid work experience, having friends who can offer them opportunities , role models etc
So personally I think if two pupils private v state achieved the same exam results the pupil who attended the local comp is more likely to be naturally bright, perhaps more tenacious and unlikely to have had the same opportunities , that's why unis do contextual offers.
And for all the PP who say private schools do scholarships and bursaries ime it's often the middle classes who elbow their way into these places because as a rule of thumb someone from a council estate or poorer background wouldn't even know about them or how to apply or consider a private school bursary or scholarship for their DC

Nothing to say other than, you are an arsehole of first order...and I'm a labour voter and not privately educated
Why you would come on here to tell as that is really quite unbelievable.

Yanbu OP, and well done.

I assume you're being ironic

1. North West private school scholarship kid 🙋🏻‍♀️
2. skint parents
3. my parents politics aren't my politics
4. I didn't choose my school but you judge me anyway
5. I think you might need a lie down.

Lolz

It's akin to being a fifth column lol.

No, you're behaving exactly the same as the people benefiting from the system you claim to despise.

Politics isn't your only weak spot. Logic is not too strong either.

You're no hero. Theres nothing to LOL about here. What you're doing is dishonest and self indulgent.

Take your fight public if you believe in it so strongly.

This happens all the time, in reverse.
People don't complain about this, funnily enough.
Up the revolution!

I think you only have to look at how skewed the British establishment is towards those with contacts and privilege to see how this is not doing the country any favours. I have also read, although can’t quote, studies which show the predominance of those in decision-making positions in the economy, not just in government, but private sector finance etc means the economic status quo will never be challenged. We need innovative thinking from people with diverse backgrounds to take a non traditional approach to the economy. Perpetual growth simply cannot be sustained.

So in a way I admire your approach, although it would be far more use in a sector which was working for the public good rather than just to sell people shit.

I come a modest background....not rich but not poor. For context, my father was, through no fault of his own, barely literate but had a strong work ethic and ran a small building company. My mother did his books and admin.

When my older brothers were coming up to secondary school age, the LEA had an Assisted Places Scheme which was basically scholarships to independent schools and they got in and have been to Oxford and Durham respectively. (They'd stopped it by the time me and my sister went to secondary school and we went to a comprehensive and although we did OK were not as successful academically. I'm seriously not bothered....I wanted to go to the comprehensive and there's honestly no resentment). But although we're from a working class background, you'd reject their applications? That's not quite how positive discrimination works! They had their positive discrimination by getting their school places!

Just look at the House of Lords and House of Commons representation and performance and you see how much some positive discrimination is needed. Like the OP's policy.

Technically yabu but I’m struggling to give a toss. Let’s face facts, the candidates you reject won’t struggle to find employment even if they are scholarship kids.

I’d like to change the criteria for acceptance to elite universities.

Candidates applying should have their social capital taken into account.

Eton educated, wealthy family, private tutors etc. 3 A*’s at A level, plus very good grades at GCSE.

Good Grammar school, lots of family support 2A*’s and an A.

Bog standard comp plus stable home life 3 A’s

single parent family on benefits, caring for for younger siblings 3 B’s.

Not an exhaustive list but a sliding scale whereby nepotism and huge social capital that normally guarantees an easier ride into the elite institutions is compensated for so that the kid from a deprived background whose had to overcome obstacles has as good a chance as the Wealthy and privately educated.

This. Some children attend private schools for complex reasons. YABU

I wanted to say yabu. My mind has been completely changed by this thread. I think you're ensuring there is enough diversity of education in your workplace. I can't see why this is a bad thing.

Just look at the House of Lords and House of Commons representation and performance and you see how much some positive discrimination is needed. Like the OP's policy
OP doesn't have an affirmative action recruitment or positive discrimination policy.
They have their half thought through opinions and are busy doing their own thing based on whether they like an applicant's school.

Wouldn't it be a better idea to make sure everyone, regardless of their background, has a decent education?

I think you're ensuring there is enough diversity of education in your workplace. I can't see why this is a bad thing.

But the op is getting paid to recruit the best candidates for the job, not to socially engineer the workforce.

My mind has been completely changed by this thread.

Really? In what way?

Would be great but while you’re waiting for that sunlit upland, there are kids who deserve a shot and their poverty, circumstances and crappy school are letting them down.

Reading with intrigue,

Lucky escape for them not to work for someone apparently unware that (a) there are still people from deeply underprivileged backgrounds who end up at top universities (while Manchester is absolutely heaving with posh kids who didn't make the cut) and (b) affirmative action is an illegal hiring practice in the UK. The chip on the shoulder can't help much either.