Oxbridge (wherever that may be) is accused of many sins: elitism, positive discrimination and prejudice of every shade to name but a few. And now a distinguished alumnus has voiced his view that Oxford is still getting it all wrong, admissionswise, ‘staggeringly’.
May I point out that the rôle of universities is to maintain academic standards and educate, not to pander to social whims and fashions – of whatever colour or gender. If governments wish to re-engineer the structures of society with hand-outs and incentives, that is their business; but the universities must select the best academic candidates irrespective of other, perhaps ephemeral issues. So the quoted minister only has to make sure his colleagues agree with his point of view, stump up the cash – and the unis will conform by providing the best learning environment for the most deserving students.
Boadicea's Chariot 
How old fashioned you are, Janus. Higher education is increasingly the plaything of nutters and radicals. There are some bastions of higher education, but they are dwindling as subjectivity and “personal truth” are pushing all else out.
Old fashioned? Less cynical than you, my biy.
I work in academia. I know exactly what’s going on. I’ve seen the spiral of standards in just the past decade. It’s hard not to be cynical, my geezer.
When I read what Gyimah said, I was amazed that a supposedly intelligent man could equate the winning of Nobel prizes by individuals to the administrative procedures of an institution. It made me wonder to what he owed his admission to Oxford. What these dark-hued virtue signallers don’t seem able to grasp is that the proportion of similarly pigmented students admitted to prestigious institutions is higher than the proportion of these characters in the general population. It really is sickening. So many BAME failures blame their lack of success on their ethnicity rather than on their ability. So what is the point of admitting all shades of the rainbow to universities where they probably won’t be able to cope academically and will then start blaming discrimination.
Sheona: the solution to your comment:
“So many BAME failures blame their lack of success on their ethnicity rather than on their ability. So what is the point of admitting all shades of the rainbow to universities where they probably won’t be able to cope academically and will then start blaming discrimination.”
will be quite simple – the courses will be tailored to accomodate those who ‘fail’ at the present level.
CT, I’m suggesting your fellow academics should step off the downward spiral and ensure the excellence they used to seek is reinstated as a priority.
By way of reminiscing, in the early ’60s my college housed several sons of rich ‘colonial’ families who paid for the privilege. That no longer happens but the author seems to want to allow under-qualified applicants to ‘win’ places by dint of ethnicity free of charge.
Hi Janus, surely diversity in every walk of life is a wonderful goal. I mean would you have ever heard of drill music were it not for the arrival of so many talented immigrants who now grace Britain’s inner cities?
“Metropolitan Police apply for court order to stop gang members making drill music, in unprecedented move”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/drill-music-court-order-gang-london-youtube-criminal-met-a8386806.html
Enoch must be having a right old chuckle.
Sipu, yes, diverse is good. Origins, talents, ideas but academic standards? No.
Diverse is wonderful back in their countries of origin. May they return to their jungles and take their mopeds and machetes with them.
Blood stains on the quads are so frightfully debilitating to the grass.
CO, what’s dried blood good for – in the garden I mean?
It is an excellent long term high nitrogen fertilizer. So any blood stains would cause better growth in that area thus spoiling the look of the velvet sward effect!
Other than that very decorative whilst still wet as long as it comes from a source you find abhorrent!!!