Cambridge College Sparks Outrage Over 'Immoral' Private School Recruitment Drive
A prestigious university college at Cambridge University is under fire for its new recruitment drive that targets students from elite private schools. The policy, which aims to actively recruit pupils from top private institutions, has been widely criticized by social mobility charities and state-educated student groups as damaging, offensive, and a step backwards for equality.
Critics argue that the move will further entrench the existing gap between privately educated students and those from state schools, with many already overrepresented at elite institutions despite representing only 7% of the population. The Sutton Trust, a charity that aims to boost UK social mobility through education, has called on the university to scrap the policy.
Alumni of Trinity Hall, one of the colleges involved in the recruitment drive, have expressed their dismay at the policy, saying it is an attempt to recruit more wealthy students and will damage the college's reputation. The master of Trinity Hall, Mary Hockaday, has defended the policy, claiming that there has been no change to admissions policy or commitment to widening participation.
However, critics argue that the university should be using its considerable endowment funds to track down talented students from deprived communities rather than focusing on private schools. Jess Staufenberg, a co-founder of the Private Education Policy Forum, said there is no evidence that private schools need encouragement to apply to Cambridge and that the college should present its evidence for why they are being targeted.
The controversy has also sparked criticism from high-profile figures, including former Downing Street director of communications Alastair Campbell, who described the policy as "immoral and dangerous". The 93% Club, a network representing UK state-educated students, is withdrawing alumni-funding donations until the policy is reversed.
A prestigious university college at Cambridge University is under fire for its new recruitment drive that targets students from elite private schools. The policy, which aims to actively recruit pupils from top private institutions, has been widely criticized by social mobility charities and state-educated student groups as damaging, offensive, and a step backwards for equality.
Critics argue that the move will further entrench the existing gap between privately educated students and those from state schools, with many already overrepresented at elite institutions despite representing only 7% of the population. The Sutton Trust, a charity that aims to boost UK social mobility through education, has called on the university to scrap the policy.
Alumni of Trinity Hall, one of the colleges involved in the recruitment drive, have expressed their dismay at the policy, saying it is an attempt to recruit more wealthy students and will damage the college's reputation. The master of Trinity Hall, Mary Hockaday, has defended the policy, claiming that there has been no change to admissions policy or commitment to widening participation.
However, critics argue that the university should be using its considerable endowment funds to track down talented students from deprived communities rather than focusing on private schools. Jess Staufenberg, a co-founder of the Private Education Policy Forum, said there is no evidence that private schools need encouragement to apply to Cambridge and that the college should present its evidence for why they are being targeted.
The controversy has also sparked criticism from high-profile figures, including former Downing Street director of communications Alastair Campbell, who described the policy as "immoral and dangerous". The 93% Club, a network representing UK state-educated students, is withdrawing alumni-funding donations until the policy is reversed.
... I mean, I get why they're trying to recruit more talented students from private schools, but at what cost? 
It's just going to make things worse for state school kids who already feel like they can't compete with their rich friends. And what's the point of even trying if we're not addressing the root issue of funding disparities between schools? 
I'm all about fairness and equality, especially when it comes to education. Can't we just focus on helping underprivileged students get the opportunities they deserve instead of perpetuating a cycle of elitism? 
. I get why they're trying to target top private schools, but at the same time, it's like they're saying only rich kids deserve to go to Cambridge? That's a bit unfair if you ask me. The Sutton Trust makes some solid points about how this will just widen the gap between rich and not-so-rich students. I'd love to see them put more focus on finding talented students from lower-income backgrounds instead of just targeting private schools. They've got a lot of resources, it's time they used them for good 
I'm totally with Alastair Campbell on this one... it's just not right to be targeting those private schools. I mean, we should be supporting all kids from all backgrounds, regardless of where they go to school! 
. Those endowment funds could be used so much better than just trying to recruit more rich kids... we should be helping out those from deprived communities instead! 
. Let's keep pushing for a fairer education system that everyone can access, regardless of their background 
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i mean what about all the talented students from deprived communities who need a chance? shouldnt cambridge be tryna break down barriers not build more of 'em? its like they're sayin we dont want ppl from state schools, we only want rich kids 
. The Sutton Trust is just trying to stir up drama here, I think it's a normal recruitment strategy for a top-tier university 
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. I mean, what's wrong with targeting deprived communities? That's where the real talent is hidden, but nobody ever looks there because everyone assumes they're not 'good enough'. It's so unfair and exclusive, it makes me want to scream 
. And let's be real, who benefits from this policy - the university itself or just their rich friends? It's just another example of how the privileged few get even more advantages 
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anyone else have one of those "what was I thinking" moments? anyway, back to cambridge college... i mean, wouldn't it be awesome if they just gave out free scholarships to anyone who's talented regardless of their background? 
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A prestigious uni like Cambridge targeting rich kids from private schools? It's just another way to widen the gap between haves and have-nots 
. They're basically saying "hey, we can afford to be picky" 
. It's not like private schools are going to magically stop producing awesome students 
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The 93% Club withdrawing donations is a good start, but we need more action 
... we need more inclusivity at our top universities, not less 
... Alastair Campbell said it's "immoral and dangerous" - I think he's absolutely right 
... let's hope Trinity Hall reconsiders its decision before it's too late 
. I mean, what's the point of even trying to boost social mobility if you're just gonna do things that perpetuate inequality? 
. I'm with Alastair Campbell on this one, it is immoral 
. The Sutton Trust is right on this one - the policy needs to go, ASAP! 
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