London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Dame Mary Beard calls for educational disadvantage to be tackled

Dame Mary Beard calls for educational disadvantage to be tackled

Tackling inequality at universities must start by tackling disadvantage in society, historian Dame Mary Beard has told the BBC.

The Cambridge professor is stepping down next year after almost 40 years of teaching and research.

A report by the Sutton Trust found the eight top schools had as many Oxbridge acceptances as 2,894 schools and colleges across the UK put together.

Dame Mary said universities could not solve the problems on their own.

"Cambridge and most universities have a problem attracting a widely diverse constituency of students," she told BBC Politics East.

"Cambridge has been extremely active in trying to get students from different backgrounds," said Dame Mary, who is to fund scholarships for two disadvantaged students to study classics at Cambridge as a "retirement present".

The television historian has brought the classics to a mainstream audience

"I was an undergraduate at Cambridge when only 12% of the students were women - that was in the 1970s. There has been a revolution in women's opportunities in Cambridge.

"If you want to solve the problem of education inequality you have to do it right from the beginning from the moment the child is born."

Dame Mary, who is also a television presenter, added: "I think a lot of inequalities have widened because of the pandemic. It's been a clear lens on the 'haves' and 'have-nots'."

Zoah Hedges-Stocks came from a travelling community and gained a first at Cambridge University

Zoah Hedges-Stocks, from the Leiston area of Suffolk, comes from a family of showmen who have operated fairgrounds for nearly 200 years. She gained a place at Cambridge University in 2009, graduating with a first in history in 2013.

"In my community, it's still not very common to go to university. I thought to myself, if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it properly and I'll aim for one of the best in the world," she said.

"Growing up on the fair, I was used to speaking to people from all different walks of life, so the thought of going to Cambridge did not intimidate me."

Last year Cambridge University saw 70% of undergraduates come from the state sector (an 8% increase in five years), but that compares to 93% of people in the country going to state schools.

A 2019 report by the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) found just 2.4% of undergraduates at Cambridge were white students from poorer backgrounds.

But the report found Cambridge was not alone, with the universities of Oxford, Bradford, Bedfordshire, Bristol, Warwick, Surrey, Reading, Aston and Bath having between 2% and 3% from the same demographic.

Prof Graham Virgo, senior pro-vice-chancellor for education at Cambridge, said: "We have been making significant progress, particularly recently, but we know there is more to do.

"This is not an easy area to suddenly say: 'We are going to shift the dial.' And one thing we are really insistent on is we are not going to be reducing standards of entry."

Last month, the BBC reported the University of Cambridge accepted a record number of British students from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds (29.3%) in 2020 - up from 27.8% the previous year.

Sir Vince Cable was Business Secretary in the Lib Dem/Conservative coalition

Former Business Secretary and ex-Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable said when the coalition government in the 2010s agreed that universities could increase fees, one of the conditions was that "they demonstrate the diversity of their admissions".

He said one way to improve the number of poorer backgrounds going to the top universities, that was looked at by coalition ministers, was using "tests that demonstrate potential rather than attainment".

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "Most disadvantaged pupils now attend Good or Outstanding schools and, since 2011, disadvantaged pupils had narrowed the gap with their peers at every stage of education up until the pandemic.

"We are targeting investment towards disadvantaged children through our £1.4bn education recovery plans, including £1bn to significantly expand tutoring for young people, so that every child can have the skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their potential."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×