Sunday 19 February 2012

Vince might think radical; we say rational ...

... thought would not disenfranchise a young person, the example :
A pupil (.............the leveller ...................) with 13 A* grades at GCSE, five A grades at As-level and three A*s predicted at A-level, Kanter was turned down last year by four leading British universities. He did not even get an interview.

The 18-year-old, now studying abroad, was so keen to study medicine that he had organised work placements in GP surgeries and hospitals, and helped at camps for children suffering from cancer. 

Surprised by his rejection, he contacted professors and doctors from the Russell Group universities to which he had applied and asked them to look personally at his application. “I was told by two that it was inexplicable and they could not understand what was going wrong,”
 Vince Cable is expected to announce his favoured candidate Les Ebdon, vice-chancellor of Bedfordshire University,to head up the "Office for Fair Access (Offa).  Ebdon is on record as saying he intends to be "iron fist in a velvet glove", he wishes universities to admit "poorly" or "un" qualified students else he intends to penalise the institutions by denying permission to charge fees of more than £6000.

Vince Cable once again demonstrates a poor thought process whereby universities are required to dilute the talent moving through its doors, the message is :
PLEASE KEEP OUT *
*unless from a disadvantaged group, as approved by the Dept. Social Engineering (Sunday Times 19 Feb 2012)
The liberal traditions would be to raise the education of all the children of Britain so that the most able are not left at the door of advancement through talent, the prefered principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities should be championed, we do not disadvantage some because they entered the world with familial advantage;  if Zak Kanter did not deserve entry to the 4 leading British universities, there would be no case to answer, but .........
.... professors and doctors from the Russell Group universities to which he had applied responded to questions by Zak "I was told by two that it was inexplicable and they could not understand what was going wrong,"

....he told The Sunday Times last week.

There are serious flaws in the system that are allowing hard-working students to consistently fall through the net.

Zaks problem, replace ...
A pupil (.............the leveller ...................) with 13 A* grades at GCSE, five A grades at As-level and three A*s predicted at A-level, Kanter was turned down last year by four leading British universities. He did not even get an interview.

with ...
A pupil at City of London, a top private school, with 13 A* grades at GCSE, five A grades at As-level and three A*s predicted at A-level, Kanter was turned down last year by four leading British universities. He did not even get an interview. 
Vince Cable, closet socialist, as most Liberal Democrats, once again undermines British excellence on the grail of dumbing down society.

In Wales there is a different system, yet the aspirational nature of self improvement through education is hampered by dogma, a dogma that refuses to acknowledge excellence and worth where there is a hint of familial advantage.  Might the local Liberal Democrats (of Assembly fame), those obsequious flatterers of Vince Cable, send a message to Westminster that it is bad to disadvantage any young people because of circumstances outwith their control.


2 comments:

  1. This post is simply ridiculous. There is a difference between an OTT headline from a right-wing newspaper - Please keep out - and government/ university policy. Ridiculous

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  2. Not from where I sit, education should be improved bottom to top, no student no-matter where he was previously educated should be prevented from entering university because a lesser qualified student is from a disadvantaged background. Equality of opportunity please.

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