Don’t sideline grammar school students, MPS tell universities
Outcry over Cambridge vice-chancellor’s move to alter admissions criteria in effort to increase diversity
BRITAIN’S leading universities were warned by the Government last night not to discriminate against grammar schools in any attempt to increase diversity.
School heads, campaigners and senior MPS all criticised Cambridge University’s vice-chancellor after he complained that “substituting more grammar school students for students from independent schools” would not “accomplish widening participation goals”. One senior MP called Prof Stephen Toope’s intervention “bizarre”.
Department for Education sources told The Daily Telegraph any move by universities to discriminate against grammar school students would be wrong and prompt serious concern.
Sources pointed out that Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, is a long-time champion of grammar schools and has praised their “fantastic ethos”, which he said should be “spread” to other parts of the education system.
Campaigners accused Prof Toope, the outgoing Cambridge vice-chancellor, of threatening “social engineering” that would disadvantage grammar school students applying for Oxbridge places.
Dr Mark Fenton, chief executive of the Grammar School Heads Association, called on Cambridge to publish more transparent admissions data, adding: “Any move to discriminate by institution within the state sector would be concerning and potentially unfair.”
He added: “I would remind Professor Toope that grammar school students are drawn from a very wide income spectrum and simply equating grammar schools with independent schools, where the vast majority of parents pay over £100,000 for a single child’s education, is like comparing apples with pears.
“Equally, there are comprehensive schools in some areas with more affluent intakes than grammars, which underlines the inherent difficulty of the kind of approach at which the vice-chancellor seems to be hinting.”
Robert Mccartney QC, chairman of the National Grammar Schools Association, a campaign group, said: “Instead of looking at results and acting upon that, universities are now introducing political and social engineering, which does not work.
“It’s obviously discrimination. To take as your criteria for refusing someone entry to a university that he has had the benefit of a better education than some others is crass. It’s a sort of outwoking of the woke, equality and diversity nonsense which has been going on for the last 10 to 15 years.”
Robert Halfon, chairman of the education select committee and a senior
‘Any move to discriminate by institution within the state sector would be concerning and potentially unfair’
Conservative MP, said: “As far as I’m concerned, grammar schools are state schools as well. So, I don’t know why they’ve made this distinction.” He said he was concerned if leading universities were to discriminate against grammar schools, adding: “They should be much more innovative in their approach.”
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers and a champion of grammar schools, said Prof Toope’s comments were “bizarre”.
A Cambridge University spokesman said: “If society is to be serious about offering opportunities to everyone regardless of background, then univer- sities like Cambridge need to reach beyond their traditional recruiting grounds to pupils who might be very talented but would not necessarily have considered applying. The University of Cambridge does not discriminate against any applicant.”