ACCESS: the BLAME GAME a Year Before the Introduction of Top-Up Fees of up to £3000 Who Is Responsible for the Access Problem?
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activism interviewed Jess Holland Salman Rushdie, Guy Ritchie, David Adjaye, on reforming Malcolm Purkey, Gary Younge, Emma student politics Thompson, Sugababes, David Gower INCLUDING APU www.varsity.co.uk No. 621 Friday September 30, 2005 The Independent Cambridge Student Newspaper since 1947 ACCESS: THE BLAME GAME A year before the introduction of top-up fees of up to £3000 who is responsible for the access problem? If coherent academic aptitude and The quality of teachers, the State trianing are the proper criteria for design of the curriculum, the Schools admissions then why do most introduction of AS Levels, Blamed by: Senior University state schools so comprehensively modulisation, all have an fellows and Independent fail to foster them? effect Schools. Cambridge Dr John Lonsdale University Trinity College Senior Fellow Conservative Party The university There is a massive gap Oxbridge schemes Cambridge just doesn’t between Cambridge’s public only target Blamed by the Government, get it policy and admissions poli- extremes CUSU, State School cies Headteaches, Cambridge“ Laura Walsh Carol Horseman CUSU President Hatlepool Sixth Form ” University Labour Club, Headteacher College Cambridge University Lancashire Luberal Democrats. “ The heart of the problem I suggest that you I am very disapointed by Government lies in the relentless dumb- begin by asking the figures. Many state Local MP David Howarth, ing down and impoverish- Mr Blair school pupils are worried CUSU, Senior University fig- about the percieved costs ures, the political opposition ment of the the state sector “ Dr Peter Linehan of coming here and the Institute of ” Chris Padfield Dean of St John’s Continuing Education. Institution of Continuing Education Prof Patrick Bateson “ Ex-Provost of King’s College to shoulder school pupils recruited to General Secretary of the sector... you should be asking College. Yet Sir Peter Lampl, (a other than bewilderment and Refusalthe blame Cambridge has declined is wor- Independent Schools Council how state schools can produce government advisor on widen- frustration at the recent fig- for the serious under represen- rying, but the real worry is that said of Oxbridge that “all the candidates worthy of admis- ing participation and chairman ures, telling Varsity “These tation of state school students no one seems able to explain evidence is that universities sion to Cambridge, rather than of the Sutton Trust) is quoted issues are utterly maddening appears to have become an why, nor to accept responsibili- are putting their academic rep- asking how Cambridge can be saying that “it looks like a lot for all involved.” institutional norm. Recently ty for this statistic. The root of utations first and recruiting forced to modify its high stan- of the good work that has Continued on page 15 published higher education this problem lies in one of three the best candidates.” The dards,” a sentiment concurred been done over the past few league tables make depressing“factors: University defended itself with by the headmasters of years is being reversed.” Chris MINISTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION” reading for the Government, but against all charges made by independent schools St Paul’s, Padfield suggested that it is Bill Rammell >>page13 also for the Universities and I CAMBRIDGE IS detailing the enormous Oakham College and Eton impossible to express anything Schools who have channelled RESPONDING TO GOVERN- amount of work carried out by colossal amounts of time, MENT INITIATIVES WITH both CUSU and the money and energy into reform- NOTHING MORE THAN LIP Admissions Office. Many ing the university admissions SERVICE. Cambridge academics Black History Month Feature system. Falling 18.4 per cent explained to Varsity that the behind HESA (Higher Education I STATE SCHOOLS ARE “abysmal quality” of parts of Statistics Agency) benchmarks for NOT ADEQUATELY the state system mean that a state school recruits and drop- EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE greater degree of equality can- You can’t have a functioning multi- ping from 57.6 per cent to 56.9 FOR THESE INITIATIVES. not be achieved without dras- per cent in their numbers, tically lowering academic stan- racial society working from a Cambridge appears out of sync I THESE GOVERNMENT dards. Professor Bayley argued with a country in which only 7 INITIATIVES ARE FUNDA- that “everybody knows the per cent of students attend inde- MENTALLY INEFFECTIVE. core of the problem lies in the mono-racial understanding of its pendent schools. relentless dumbing down and That the number of state Jonathan Shepherd, the impoverishment of the state past says Gary Younge >>page17 Benj Seidler on the perfect shave >11 Jon Swaine, Internal Affairs >14 Hare & Hounds run wild >29 2 Varsity News 30.09.05 news in brief Departure of controversial King’s Oxford win crocodile boat race Provost clouded by rumour Oxford beat Cambridge in another boat race - this time at a regatta on Lake Zambezi in Africa, to commemorate the 150th discovery of the Victoria dents are powerless in this col- Falls by the explorer David Joe Gosden lege – I hold all the cards’. She Livingston. The start of the overplayed her hand. And race was delayed by a family Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas, now she can go and play poker of hippos who wandered the first female provost of politics elsewhere." across the course. King’s College, resigned at the end of last term after a two Her departure leaves behind a What makes a teenager? year tenure marked by contro- wave of controversy, with alle- Teenagers from versy and confrontation with gations emerging that in the Hinchingbrooke School in both the students and fellows. autumn of 2003 KCSU ran a Huntingdon have teamed up She announced her decision to smear campaign against her to "indoctrinate as many of the with scientists from leave, following a years sabbat- first year as possible" into an Cambridge University to dis- ical ending in August 2006, to "anti-Judith position" so that cover the key to youthful the King’s fellows in a congre- gation on 15th July 2005. they would then be favourable behaviour. It is hoped that the to the KCSU position on the study will shed light on why Her resignation has been sur- rent strike that was due to start some teenagers thrive during rounded by rumours that she that Michaelmas. A King’s stu- adolescence whilst others may have been forced out. A dent who sat on the student struggle. King’s insider told Varsity that council told Varsity "certain she was "ousted" in a vote by upper echelons of Ben and Jerry stop the melt the College’s governing body, KCSU…decided that part of Ben and Jerry’s are planning having fallen from favour with this indoctrination would to open a ‘climate change col- the fellows through not spend- involve an anti-authority- lege’ aimed at students seek- ing enough time in college due based smearing of the new provost. Therefore from the ing a career in environmental to other business commit- first week of term anti-Judith issues. It is designed to give ments. In 2004 the college had taken the unprecedented step and anti-college propaganda them the training they will were rife." need to become future envi- of appointing three fellows, Dr ronmental campaigners, Nicky Zeeman, Dr John Dunn and Dr David Good, to "advise He went on to say "Following including a trip to the Arctic to and guide" the provost in her the scandal surrounding the study global warming. work. A senior King’s source sacking of Roger Salmon, how- told Varsity that they had in ever, I think Judith discovered Cock crows once for effect been appointed as that she had more vocal, and Peterhouse ‘babysitters’ after concerns probably more dangerous, were raised over Dame Judith’s opponents amongst the fellow- Her appointment was contro- student bar in more neutral Peterhouse escaped repri- financial management in the ship itself. Sometime around Katy Long, ex-KCSU exec versial, with her record of city- colours. She was accused of mand this week when an unfir wake of the scandal surround- then the various scandals that member, told Varsity "There executive attitude and lavish having made the college bar, dismissal claim brought by a ing the sacking of Roger may or may not have con- was never a KCSU ‘whispering’ personal expenditure raising which she referred to as "a den fomer employee was rejected Salmon as Bursar. tributed to her resignation campaign to "indoctrinate" concerns from the student of drinking and smoking", into swung themselves into freshers against Judith body, many of which were something more akin to a con- at an unemployment tribunal. motion". Mayhew: we all hoped her recorded in Varsity. Despite the ference facility. She defended Bobbie Elsom held a secretar- In an official statement the appointment would usher in a college’s efforts to cut back her actions, saying that the ial position at the college King’s fellows said "Dame Judith has presided over a time Ben Harrison, who is the cur- period of improved relations Mayhew was paid £50,000 previous (socialist) red "could between March 1996 and rent KCSU coordinator, when with College. However, within more than her predecessor, be intimidating to right wing September last year, when of major change in the College, which has led to the formation told the content of these alle- a very short space of her arrival ordered new furniture for the students". she was made redundant. The of a new and forward-looking gations, responded "the make- at King's serious failings Provost’s Lodge, had her per- tribunal said they were ‘satis- management team". They went up of the exec has changed became apparent, not least her sonal garden landscaped using Dame Judith’s responsibilities fied that the college had gen- on to add "all of us at King’s completely since the last rent refusal to meet elected student college funds and allegedly will be taken on by her deputy, uinely wanted to retain the wish her success in her future strike, and the vast majority of representatives.