Oxbridge
Although more than 100 km separates the English cities of Oxford and Cambridge, their universities are linked by the term ‘Oxbridge’. It is a name that can be applied to either university or to both. Traditionally, a degree at Oxbridge symbolized the pinnacle of academic achievement. Cities like Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol and Manchester had their own universities, but these were not as esteemed as Oxbridge and received the derogatory title of ‘Red brick’ universities. In recent times, the name Oxbridge has also become a derogatory term. Some people believe that Oxbridge is part of a social class system that favours the privileged few, born into wealth or high social status, at the expense of the less well-off, socially disadvantaged, though equally talented students. Whilst Oxford and Cambridge encourage applications from candidates living in deprived areas, only 1 in 100 of the poorest university students in England received an Oxbridge education in 2010, far lower than the percentage of poorer students at the ‘Red brick’ universities.
It cannot be disputed that a disproportionate number of Oxbridge entrants went to a fee-paying private school rather than to a free, state school. Nationally, only 1 in 15 pupils receive a private education, but nearly half of the students at Oxbridge went to a private school. Fee-paying schools have higher staff-to-pupil ratios, so their pupils receive more tuition and achieve higher grades than pupils from state sector schools. It is surely no surprise that pupils with an education paid for by their parents are about 20 times more likely to be offered a place at Oxbridge. There is no reason to believe that the best pupils in the state sector are any less intelligent than those in the private sector. Given the same educational opportunities and life circumstances, state sector pupils can achieve equally high grades. The failure of the best pupils to achieve their potential can often be linked to a difficult home life, lack of motivation or peer pressure from less academic pupils. The attainment gap between university applicants from fee-paying and state schools is maintained when Oxbridge graduates are rewarded with the best-paying jobs, affording them the opportunity to send their own children to the best schools.
Looked at from the perspective of life chances, Oxbridge helps to maintain the ‘social divide’ where the rich get richer and the poor remain poor. Some people would argue that this ‘Oxbridge advantage’ is a symptom of social stratification rather than a cause of it. After all, parents cannot be blamed for wanting the best education for their children and Oxbridge cannot be held responsible for the failure of state schools to achieve the necessary grades. There is no evidence to suggest that Oxbridge selects students on anything other than merit. Indeed, in some subjects the application process includes admissions and aptitude tests that help to ensure a level playing field. Perhaps then, the state sector needs to encourage and support more applications from their best pupils to the best universities. Alternatively, the low aspiration of some pupils’ parents may fail to drive gifted pupils onwards and upwards, or it may be that some pupils from an ordinary background are not comfortable with the idea of attending Oxbridge. Students who do not feel that they will ‘fit in’ at Oxbridge can still make the most of their talents by attending one of the country’s many other excellent universities.
Inequalities in our society do not begin and end with Oxbridge. The best state schools are usually found in the most affluent areas. Injustices can arise when parents move house to secure a child’s place at a more desirable school and in doing so they force another child into an under-performing school. Other, better-off parents, though not necessarily wealthy, will pay for their children to be educated at a private school to avoid having to move home. Either way, the desire to furnish one’s children with the best possible education outweighs any sense of social justice. Unless remedies can be found for the disparity in educational standards in the pre-university years, it is unrealistic to believe that Oxbridge contributes in any substantial way to a lack of social mobility. A place at Oxbridge should be seen as an opportunity for self-improvement and learning at the highest standards whatever one’s social background.