From: chem91@Elroy.UH.EDU ("Bill Harrison (713)-743-2789")
Subject: Re: O-levels, A-levels etc was Re: THE COMPLETE BRITISH TO AMERICAN DI
Reply-To: chem91@Elroy.UH.EDU
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 14:54:37 GMT

In article <1992Sep10.173233.8794@vax.oxford.ac.uk>, wilcox@vax.oxford.ac.uk writes:
>In article <92253.160556EE117@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK>, EE117@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK writes:
>> 
>> Large quibble here:
>> 
>> The main qualification for admittance to Oxbridge seems to be the existance of
>> immensely wealthy parents who, ideally, are also titled. Exactly how many S
>> levels have the Windsors [*] managed to scrape together - probably a similar
>> amount to John Major's O level tally, viz nil.
>> 
>Even larger quibble here:
>
>Well if you count Rev & Mrs, I suppose my parents are titled. But immensely 
>wealthy: do you know how much clergymen and teachers earn? What the Windsors or
>the Chancellor's daughter did is irrelevant to the overwhelming majority of
>Oxbridge students. What *is* important is brains and application, as it is for
>any university.

Forgive my cynicism, but... When I "went up" to Oxford in the late 70s, about 
50% of the incoming "young gentlemen" (*not* "students"!) were from private
schools which educate about 5% of the population. Many of them appeared to be
there solely through "connections" rather than any meaningful academic criteria
(although many others were brilliant students).

I always felt *at that time* that the token few from "Brookside Comprehensive"
like myself were only admitted because of public and political pressure etc
etc. (I entered via a "conditional offer" (on A-level results) because my
school, like so many, had no facilities for teaching the "entrance exam". 

It was just at that stage that Oxford was dragging itself, kicking and 
screaming, into the late 20th Century with respect to admissions etc. (and
horrors, admitting w--o--m--e--n into the good old College). I understand
that things have improved a lot since then.

>
>> and another thing...
>> 
>> given the amount of Oxbridge Old Boys in the Conservative Party (citizen Major
>> apart) and the incredible academic esteem attributed to these institutions
>> why is the Country in such a complete shambles
>What do you expect with a Conservative government? Economic success? Full
>employment? Good public health services? Good public education? Their education
>is irrelevant: if they had good policies the country would not be in a mess.
> 

Not *totally* irrelevant. When the next round of cuts occurs, which schools 
do you expect to suffer the most -- Oxford or Salford; Cambridge or Brunel?????

>> -Ian (8 Os, 4 As,admitted to Sheffield Uni. on the strength of my UCCA form)
>Do I detect a disgruntlement at being turned down by another University?
>
>Stephen (not one to boast, but since you ask 14 Os, 5 As and 3 Ss, admitted to
>Oxford University on the strength of UCCA form, interview and exam results.)
> 
>-- 
>
>Stephen Wilcox             |   Remember what happened to the dinosaurs!
>wilcox@maths.oxford.ac.uk  |    I did---and look what happened to me.

Stay loose,
Bill
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\               /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+
| Bill Harrison,            \             /       "Be as radical as... |
| University of Houston, TX  >-----------<         reality itself"     |
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