ENGINES OF SOCIAL MOBILITY?

I see that class warrior Lord Peter Mandelson is to call on our Universities to become “engines of social mobility” later today. The BBC covered this here, with an interview with Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group which represents the 20 top universities. Sarah Montague was relentlessly pushing the patronising idea that Universities should accept a lower set of “A” level results from those from a “disadvantaged” background, although Piatt gave a decent enough defence. However what worries me is that the Universities will go along with the Mandelson line so long as they get to hike tuition fees. The BBC, like Labour, continually pushes the “All must have prizes” Dodo mentality and it rarely gives time to those who advocate that standards must be maintained at all costs and that the primary role of a University is to educate – not to facilitate the creed of socialism.