Elite universities and professions are still the preserve of the middle classes | Letters
Wednesday 14th February 2024
In response to a piece by Gaby Hinsliff, Dr Siân Lawrence says we’re not sliding back to the days of class privilege – we never left them behind
Gaby Hinsliff asks if we are sliding back to the days when middle-class children mostly went to university and then into elite careers, while working-class ones mostly did not (It’s not about ‘woke’ or foreign students – the truth is that UK universities are starved of cash, 6 February). We’re not sliding back to those days – we never left them behind.
Working-class students comprise around 20% of undergraduates at the 24 Russell Group universities and an even lower percentage of postgraduates, with those who were entitled to free school meals comprising fewer than 4% of undergraduates at these universities. Even when they do enter such elite institutions, working-class students often report feelings of social isolation and class-based microaggressions by their peers and staff.
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