These words from Matthew's Gospel were more a throwaway remark than a prophecy; but should they still be valid in 21st Century Britain? In a nation that provides free state education for all up to the age of 18, is it still possible that privilege is so entrenched that the bottom rung is still beyond all but the most exceptional of those educated in the state sector?
Former Prime Minister, Sir John Major, pointed out today that more than half the current Cabinet were privately educated. "In every single sphere of British influence, the upper echelons of power in 2013 are held overwhelmingly by the privately educated or the affluent middle class," he said.
Research has shown that private education gives an undoubted advantage in achieving higher grades at GCSE and A level, though the teachers went through the same teacher training regime as those employed in state schools.
This advantage is compounded by the fact that you have a much better chance of getting into Oxford or Cambridge Universities if you were privately educated. For the 'very best' schools, this is hard-wired into the selection system. Eton and Harrow, for instance, each have three senior academics from Oxford and Cambridge on their governing body. This advantage can be seen in the figures for admissions to universities.
The Government's Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission found that, although the number of state school pupils starting a degree at a top university increased by 1,464 between 2002/03 and 2011/12, there were 126 fewer students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds at Russell Group universities - 24 of the UK's most selective universities, including Oxford and Cambridge - in 2011/12 than there were in 2002/03. *
This advantage then moves on to the work place. Are the candidates from private schools for the top professions really so much better than those from state education to give this sort of disparity?
How do we put this right?
Short of a revolution (and when has that ever done any good?) we need to stop disproportionately streaming wealthy kids into the universities and professions that influence how society is run; that is a self-perpetuating injustice. Oxford and Cambridge should break all the cosy ties they have with top independent schools or lose all their state funding. This should be seen to be done from both ends, so we don't end up with the status quo on an unspoken, informal basis.
Parliamentary selection committees need to think about the qualifications of MPs. Politics and social science degrees make you good at talking the talk, but give you no experience at walking the walk. Where are the engineering degrees? Where are the mathematicians? Even The Arts seem to have no representation amongst top politicians. We have elected a bunch of orators, not doers, and it shows!
State-funded professions, such as civil servants, judges, etc., should not have disproportionate numbers originating from independent schools/Oxbridge in their top ranks. This would require independent scrutiny and explanations if candidates from 'better' schools/universities but with lower academic achievement are favoured. The British taxpayers fund these institutions and should be represented amongst them.
Next (or at the same time,) we need to raise the aspirations of state educated children. There is funding to help the very weakest achievers in schools. This is good; it means they have a better chance of being functionally literate and numerate. But there is precious little help for the high fliers, or those who should be high fliers but are locked into the tracks of a curriculum and a system where the children needing help to get from grade D to grade C get more help than those with a comfortable B get to an A*. This is because the former will affect the school's standing in the league tables but the latter won't. This is madness. Private schools put out bait to attract gifted and talented pupils. State schools ignore them (though thankfully, some of their teachers don't.)
How will Britain ever be Great again, if the people making the decisions for the nation have never had a proper job, were educated in selective schools and left Oxbridge with a degree that would be useless in any other field of work?
Will things change? Sadly, it's Oxbridge-educated PPE graduates who have to make the changes to let others in. Will it happen? Don't hold your breath.
Oxford Elitism - House of Commons Library
Oxford Elitism - House of Commons Library
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