The privileged would have to compete for the limited number of Oxbridge places that had previously been reserved for them and them alone and they might not make the grade…

Private school students at Oxbridge are now a minority, though there a lot still from “state grammars”.

My lad has just finished his first year at Cambridge, having gone through a failing secondary school which had two students from his year get into Oxbridge. He’s actively involved in the colleges inclusion and diversity programme encouraging bright kids from poorer backgrounds.

Strangely, as a liberal/leftie, he’s really good mates with a Tim but Dim young Tory, but who also hates Boris, which is interesting.

And several many, many other reasons, of course.

Just hard agreeing with you, really.

Private school students at Oxbridge are now a minority

6.5% of all UK students go to fee paying schools.

14% of teachers in the UK work in fee paying schools.

35% of UK based Oxbridge students went to fee paying schools.

The strangle hold on places at top universities is being reduced, but it hasn’t gone. Even if we ever get to the point where places are awarded entirely based on merit… the fact that we put more resources into teaching people who are prepared and able to pay for it (or rather their parents are) means that achievement before University age will always be weighted towards those at fee paying schools, with a knock on effect on places awarded at Universities.

The point is: why does this country have an education system that is a production line of arrogant, entitled arseholes who regard power as their birthright, of which Boris Johnson is the living embodiment?

Because the arrogant entitled arseholes specifically put it there to enable it!

At every stage, they’ve loaded the deck. Land, inheritance, birthright… All passed down again and again so as to prevent anyone else getting a look in.
Pass the kids through a set system of education, military and then straight into Daddy’s company.

Successful 6th form colleges like Hills Rd have loads of kids privately educated to 16 and they’d be defined as state school applicants at 18. Plus the variation between state schools is enormous. The deciding factor ultimately is inequality, an issue which is unaffected by social mobility.

True. Even back in “my day” the students that went through our local state sixth form college that went on to Oxbridge had all been to fee paying schools up to 16. To be fair to them, they had actively chosen to get out of the private system as soon as they had a say, because they wanted to escape the segregation… and the ones I knew were dead against maintaining that system for future generations, despite obviously benefitting from it.

Don’t forget that fees rocket up in the 6th form, so there is also a practical reason why they move to good state sixth forms. In the case of Hills Road, it’s one of the best in the country including public schools.

Beyond how unrepresentative of the general population the Oxbridge intake is, I think we have to look at the kind of education they offer beyond that of specified subjects.

The first thing I think of when I think of Oxbridge is the debating societies and the exercise in pure sophistry that they represent. Winning the argument is what matters, not what is right or wrong.

It is obvious that they have traditionally taught in this way because the assumption has always been that the alumni will go on to rule the country.

Sophistry is cultural Marxism in its original form. Oxbridge is effectively teaching their students how to lie. It’s a dangerous thing when you begin to think that winning an argument makes you right.

Even back in “my day” the students that went through our local state sixth form college that went on to Oxbridge had all been to fee paying schools up to 16.

I must tell my wife and brother in law, who went to their local comps.

. Oxbridge is effectively teaching their students how to lie

They learn this before Oxbridge.

Windsor – bankruptcy trial

One can hope. Absent Adam needs removing. And it would be nice to vote for the winning candidate. Even if only once in my lifetime.

Will be a run on the Sunday Times tomorrow. I know scandals sell, but it is basically the back door news flow from The Conservatives.

Mail & Torygraph running with anti Johnson front page headlines!
But mirror having the most fun

Sunday Mirror: Boris’ missed chances to probe Pincher #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/GEmxXz0J1u

— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) July 2, 2022

Sophistry is cultural Marxism in its original form.

Cultural Marxism isn’t a thing, at all. It’s a hard right conspiracy theory.

Torygraph also running with how Remainer civil servants are blocking reforms. Of course we are 🙄

Therese Coffey interview on BBC was just dire, she looked glummer & glummer as it went on, zero enthusiasm for the soundbites she was trotting out

Surely this is the worst cabinet in living history, they all know they’re out when Johnson is gone.

There must be a few semi competent MPs left in the party , problem is Johnson made it a condition of joining this government to give up critical thinking

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-strengthens-hand-on-brexit-by-forcing-all-tory-candidates-to-sign-up-to-his-plan-in-pre-election-pledge-363975

Sajid Javid’s troll-game is excellent, though:

Great to visit Lickey End First School this afternoon to meet with the teaching team and the amazing pupils! #Bromsgrove pic.twitter.com/hmGnkgPGlY

— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) July 1, 2022

‘Sophistry is cultural Marxism in its original form.’ Can you give us a reference or a context? This one baffled me.

Therese Coffey interview on BBC was just dire, she looked glummer & glummer as it went on, zero enthusiasm for the soundbites she was trotting out

BREAKING: Scientists have confirmed Therese Coffey is not actually a sentient lifeform, but rather a potato that someone has drawn a face on x

— Laura Kuenssberg Translator (@BBCFLauraKT) July 3, 2022

Cultural Marxism is a phrase reintroduced into the political discourse by Steve Bannon. It has its origins a century ago when it referred to a critique of early consumerism though found traction in the 70’s when it became a phrase used by the far left. It basically, means the end justifies the means.

It is the belief that the truth lies in the purity of your original idea, not in the path that you take to get there. It therefore justifies lying, or indeed any other unjust method in order to achieve your aim. It uses the word Marxism not to refer to a political theory but to refer to strategy and philosophy.

Sorry Kelvin, it’s more than a conspiracy theory, though spinning conspiracy theories is obviously part of that process.

Sophistry is what the ancient Greeks did when they took Plato’s ideas about the purity of thought and corrupted it further.

…though found traction in the 70’s when it became a phrase used by the far left.

Have you got some sort of evidence for that remarkable claim? As someone who has read a fair amount of far left
literature and attended many meetings where far leftists, even ultra leftists, have spoken, I have never heard anyone other than far right/neo-nazis use the term.

IMO there is no merit in any of your post but I find the claim that ‘Culture Marxism’ is/was a term used by the far left particularly bizarre.

a phrase reintroduced into the political discourse by Steve Bannon

It’s a hard right conspiracy theory. Call it alt right if you want.

Whatever.

EDIT:

Meant to type Wikipedia. I’m blaming autocorrect…

If Therese Coffey is a potato that might explain why she spent the interview looking at the floor

Probably done on one thread or other but thought Angla Rayners response to Hi-de-hi guy (Raab does look like Simon the camp manager) when criticised for going to the opera was pretty good.

“My advice to the deputy prime minister is to cut out the snobbery and brush up on his opera. The Marriage of Figaro is the story of a working-class woman who gets the better of a privileged but dim-witted villain.”

Liked that comment from Rayner when I heard it on Thursday.
Front page headline in the Metro…
Groping for Answers.
Arf arf

Chis Pincher and Sarah Dines are living proof of nominative determinism.

The whole “report any concerns to the whips” thing is bonkers, isn’t it (eg Dines in this case). Is there anyone less independent, and more likely to abuse information about MPs given in confidence, than government whips?!?!

Oh, Johnson has changed his previous line about not knowing about previous allegations about Pincher. It obviously wasn’t credible… but did its job. Lie now… worrying about back peddling on the lie when headlines have moved on. Same old.

Chis Pincher and Sarah Dines are living proof of nominative determinism.

As a counter-argument, James Cleverly exists.

Oh, Johnson has changed his previous line about not knowing about previous allegations about Pincher. It obviously wasn’t credible… but did its job. Lie now… worrying about back peddling on the lie when headlines have moved on. Same old.

what was that 3 hours before u-turning?

the jr, jr minister that drew the short straw this morning to do the interview rounds must be loving it

And as sure as eggs is eggs, that “categoric assurance” disintegrated…

“Boris Johnson was aware of some allegations relating to Chris Pincher when the MP for Tamworth was appointed deputy chief whip in February, Downing Street has admitted.” https://t.co/dcoGAjHT3j

— Tom Swarbrick (@TomSwarbrick1) July 4, 2022

Yep, MH, he’s an oxy moron.

BillMC
Yep, MH, he’s a oxy moron.

FTFY

It’s worth remembering as you turn on the radio, or open the newspaper, that this govt once thought it would be a good idea to have a scheduled daily press conference.

‘given a categoric assurance the Prime Minister was not aware of any specific allegation or complaint.’

I guess “he’s a massive sex pest” is nicely non-specific, so the above quote could technically still be true 🙄

Raab on BBC this morning.
How can you tell he’s lying? Well his lips are moving, unlike the thought processes in his brain.

the reason for the No 10 to change it’s story…..

I just avoid all news about this rabble now.

Can someone please wake me up when we’ve got some grown-ups in charge?

These are ‘grown ups’. One thing I’ve learnt over the years is that people’s inadequacies, eccentricities and nastiness don’t improve with age. I want to see some young talent in power not some cynical, reactionary and bought off gerontocracy.

The first thing I think of when I think of Oxbridge is the debating societies and the exercise in pure sophistry that they represent. Winning the argument is what matters, not what is right or wrong.

I think you overestimate how important the Oxford Union Society is in the University. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the education process. Everyone knows that it’s a posh club where shits like Johnson can polish their egos playing at being important. It’s a failure of our democracy that some of them go on to actually become important in real life.

Raab on BBC this morning.
How can you tell he’s lying? Well his lips are moving, unlike the thought processes in his brain.

To be fair to Raab, it looks like he’s guilty of being naive, gullible and thick, rather than telling lies on this occasion.

The Prime Minister was briefed that Chris Pincher was a massive sex pest but decided to keep that information to himself, before appointing him as deputy chief whip

And as we know from Raab’s surprise as to the importance of the Dover Calais crossing to UK trade, he is not a curious man. The thought of asking what the outcome of an investigation about someone being a sex pest simply never entered his empty head.

Ladies and gentlemen… your Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister

Speaking to the BBC’s Today programme, Mr Raab said: “I have discussed this with the prime minister over the last 24 hours, it is not my understanding that he was directly briefed.”

From the BBC story linked above – look at the words “it is not my understanding”…