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Social mobility in the UK relies on outliers, the odd student that overcame the odds & defied their personal circumstances. An algorithm was always going to dash the hopes of those few kids & effectively destroy the little mobility that does exist in this country. See how
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The sad part is that being educated in a comprehensive school makes you an outlier when it comes to the highest grades & elite university admissions. The countryâs most common way of being educated is the least likely to get you accepted to those unis. 2/7
This has little to do with intelligence This article explains why school leaver exams are not all that useful in judging future potential, but excellent at telling us about a studentâs socio-economic status: https://wonkhe.com/what-if-the-problem-is-a-levels-and-highers-not-2020 3/7
The table in this article shows the production line of Oxbridge students from a handful of well-resourced private schools. https://thetab.com/uk/2019/09/24/revealed-the-private-schools-which-get-the-most-kids-into-oxbridge-126445 state schools canât compete. Yet if we try to make our (public funded)universities representative accusations fly of dumbing down. 4
To me the dumb part is doing nothing about this. Not just for this year, but for the future, so that all our children can have a bite of the apple. The circumstances of your birth should not dictate your life chances, but an alogorithm has ensured that is does for this year. 5/7
This year the highest-achieving of the poorest kids are the most punished, the ones we told not to accept unconditional uni offers because they could aim higher & get above their station. Those students are left with nothing. No offers at all. The worst possible outcome. 6/7
