"I have always been clear that we must allow the most talented and hard working of our young people to achieve their full potential, irrespective of what kind of social background they came from, or the school they went to.
"This does not mean imposing admissions policies on universities. But it does mean universities recognising their full responsibilities in helping to seek out and develop the best of talents, wherever they are in our society." (John Denham, the Universities Secretary, addressing the Labour party conference.)
This is a deeply offensive remark, indicating an even more deeply rooted and equally offensive mind set common among Labour supporters that 'their people' are discriminated against.
No university admissions tutor would deny admission on the grounds of class, or race or school. The competition for the brightest and the best is ferocious. The expected results that have yielded an interview are just that - sufficient to obtain an interview. The interview is to show what a candidate will be able to do in the context of what the university can offer. They are not a qualification for an offer of a place, although failure to fulfil expectations at a pre-university level examination will be looked at askance - not coming up to the mark before you even start is not good.
Because universities interview before A-level results the role of the candidate's school and particularly subject teachers, is central. It is the schools that are failing their own students if they do not communicate sufficiently well to obtain interviews their candidates can exploit. Once again we can see the devastating effect of the awful schooling and teaching offered to the many, and its role in their life chances. Why is it necessary for universities to be running summer schools and out reach activities to by-pass what should be a crucial school undertaking - assessing and recommending their university candidates?
Point the finger of blame at the teachers who fail their students, not at university teaching officers who can act only on who comes before them, and do, with intelligence, sympathy, understanding and real concern for all candidates and for the universitiy departments in which they teach and research.
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Interesting quote from Martin Kettle's Guardian column y'day on the beloved Mr. Balls.
"His officials were distressed when Balls recently confronted the Cambridge University vice-chancellor Alison Richards, someone told me this afternoon, and upbraided her for running a failing institution. But that's Balls."
Ms. Richards should have thrown the charge back at Balls. And then kicked him there.
They behave as badly in other countries too Elby. Imagine what the beloved Leader is going to look like when he arrives in the United States and tells them how to save the world as we know it.
To sum up, then, they are completely nuts. You know, this week could be very interesting, at home and abroad.
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