Academic blames colleges for elitism

Closed world? Professor says colleges are socially exclusive

A former Oxford academic blames the Oxbridge college system for maintaining an atmosphere of social exclusivity in the universities.

And he says that the structure of colleges within the universities is only made possible by the government paying Oxford and Cambridge more per student than other universities.

As the argument over Oxford University's lack of former state school pupils continues, Professor Kevin Warwick, now at the University of Reading, says it is the colleges that perpetuate a private school culture.

Professor Warwick says "the dinners, the ethos, the clothes" put off state school applicants

"The dinners, the ethos, the clothes, it's a very difficult social experience," he said, and one from which state school pupils were likely to feel excluded.

And he says the government is protecting this elitism with its funding mechanism for colleges.

Oxford and Cambridge receive "college fees" in addition to the standard allocation for students, a "double funding" which supports the collegiate structure.

But the government's funding agency, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, says that the college fees revenue is being phased out - and will have disappeared by 2010.

Professor Warwick says from his own experience at Somerville College that the whole admissions process worked in favour of more confident private school pupils.

"To get into Oxford you have to pass a social test.

"An inner city kid is unlikely to own a horse or have gone trekking in Kathmandu on his last holiday."

State school pupils could be intimidated by the whole setting, he said.

"Sat at the end of a big table in an imposing room with three dons at the other end, it is very scary for them."