Student body slams Oxford's private links
IN THE WAKE of the media commotion surrounding elitism at Oxford, The Independent claimed this week to have revealed formalised links between top public schools and Oxbridge Colleges, raising the recurring question of whether pupils at these schools are at an advantage. These special links may be simply the result of the 19th century reformation of the governing bodies of public schools to bring variety of opinion. However, NUS press officer Mark Gruyling claims that they constitute a perpetuation of the old school tie problem.
Gruyling believes that it is a well-known fact that public schools have the connections that might help their pupils to win places at Oxford. He observed that this might intimidate state school applicants. He stated: "The admissions system at Oxford needs a complete overhaul. Links with public schools are the main blockage. That these links are actually formal makes it more difficult." The 'links' refer to the fact that it is common for Fellows and senior members to sit on the Governing Bodies of top public schools in Hampshire, raising questions of unfair advantages for public school applicants.
Professor Ryan, Warden of New College, countered this by saying that the supposed links were simply historical formalities. He added that in the 1860s, a reform of public school governing bodies meant that the schools were required to appoint outsiders. A representative of Oxbridge - along with members of institutions such as the Royal Society - are therefore still invited to sit on the body. He said: "It therefore does not follow that pupils at a particular school can be at an advantage."
New College is often singled out for such suspicions due to the fact that it was established by William of Wykeham, who also founded Winchester College. Ryan dismissed these suspicions as having no substance, saying "They get no favours and are not conversely discriminated against. The link is merely the result of sharing a founder and of a reforming measure one hundred years ago." The Warden expressed concern that with more schools attempting to create links with Oxbridge colleges, gratuitous and unfair preferences might emerge, whereas the connections between institutions such as Winchester College and New College or Eton College and Kings College are purely constitutional. He commented: "The government is obsessed by the idea of nepotism. Unless they find some magic formula to find a link to every school, it is not going to work." Gruyling, NUS Press Officer, was against the idea of any school having links to colleges at all. Despite acknowledging the value of organisations such as Target Schools, he said: "Adopting the odd state school alongside all the big public schools is definitely not the answer."
Ryan felt that the media and the government were looking for excuses to accuse schools of discrimination: "They would presumably not be interested to know that as well as sitting on Winchester's Governing Body, which is part of my job as Warden, I also sit on the governing body of a 2000-strong comprehensive school." His belief is that the media attention given to the whole issue of Oxbridge elitism has only served to strengthen any impression that social prejudice is encountered at these universities - not to mention the government reaction. He concluded: "The whole thing has become something of a joke since Gordon Brown put his foot in his mouth."
8th Jun 2000