Does Oxford University qualify to be at the top of the Bad University Guide?

This week (of 23 September, 2018), the Sunday Times (UK) issued the Good University Guide for 2019. The Guide gives a ranking to each university, offers a league table, details, cost of admission, performance, admission rates from deprived areas and local accommodation.

Here is an extract from the Guide on Oxford University.

“Oxford is rated as the world’s top university in Times Higher Education research-dominated ranking…

The University won a gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework but there were negative comments from the independent panel over satisfaction levels among disadvantaged students and the immediate prospects for black and ethnic minority graduates holding A-levels

It was revealed in May (2018) that a third of Oxford colleges admitted no more than three black students in the past three years.

Oxford finishes at the bottom in our new table for social diversity that examines recruitment of children educated at non-grammar state schools, ethnic minorities, the disabled, working class, those living in deprived neighbourhoods or mature students aged over 21.

It has the smallest proportion of students from any non-grammar state schools at any English university in our table.”

Readers might wonder why

We can surmise that Oxford University remains determined to stay at the top of the pile of universities in Britain and overseas to attract the wealthy and the elite.

The international fees for students from overseas range from £24, 750 to £27,240.

The vast majority of students going to Oxford come from wealthy/middle class families, who paid for private lessons in a variety of subjects, year after year, for their children in order they got high grades in their A-levels for entrance into the university.

Oxford University sacrifices the values and principles of diversity. They offer little in the way of support and compassion for the poor, Black students and those from ethnic minorities.

Oxford University comes across as fearful of the rich and powerful integrating with the poor and powerless because it might mean a reduction in their national and global rankings if there is a drop in the high percentage of passes and grades of their undergraduates.

Oxford University has the same attitude as self-obsessed corporations like Amazon and Apple, whose ruthless ambition shows little regard for the poor and low paid.

Starting with fee paying schools leading up to Oxford and Cambridge University, the elite educational establishment have for centuries dominated our political and corporate institutions.

It is no wonder that far too many graduates of Oxford University come across as out of touch with those who are far worse off than themselves.

The self-satisfaction of professors and lecturers teaching at Oxford seem to have lost their voice on the active class and race discrimination at the university.

Our current Prime Minister Theresa May attended Oxford University. The previous Prime Minister, David Cameron, who rejected Parliament for a referendum that led to Brexit and UK’s biggest constitutional crisis, attended Oxford. Tony Blair, who helped launched the wars with George Bush on the poorest countries of the Middle East, went to Oxford. Margaret Thatcher, who worshipped privilege, despised unions and neglected the needs of poor families also attended Oxford University.

Years ago, I spoke at Oxford University. I asked the rhetorical question. “Is Oxford University an ego-making factory?”

The answer is “Yes.”

The megalomania of Oxford University to keep in pole position matters more to the university than diversity, co-operation between all backgrounds of young people and making a real contribution towards an integrated society.

Kye, my grandson is Anglo-African-Caribbean. He is the eldest of four children in. He lives in the household of a single mum, who also works full time as an associate director dealing with the intensity of domestic violence. Kye studies hard for his A-levels.

Oxford University needs him, and other young adults like him, more than he needs Oxford University.

I hereby nominate Oxford University as the Top of the Bad University Guide.