Danny wrote:
> Given that the methods universities use to
> exclude children from attending them (selection on A level grades) is
> one of the strongest long term processes underpinning social divisions
> in Britain, I'd prefer that we do compare universities, at least on this
> measure. If you think the way in which they have been compared by HEFCE
> (rather than the press) is crass, how would you suggest they alter their
> next report?
The striking thing -- at any rate from looking at the BBC web-page
-- is how pathetically unambitious and conservative is the measure on social
inclusion: percent students from state schools [!]
The vast majority of children go to state schools, and even a
substantial majority from the middle classes, in quite lot of areas (perhaps
most, bar notorious cases such as Islington, which in any case is probably a
function of the real snobbery, as opposed to sentimental progressiveness, of
the chattering classes).
So a more useful measure would be the percentage of children from
social classes CDE. (I nearly wrote "radical", but even the Blairites claim
to be about "equality of opportunity", whatever one thinks of their probable
concern about outcomes as opposed to opportunities).
Julian
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