Speaker of the H of C

The fact that John Bercow infuriates many MPs, particularly on the government side, does not prove that he is biased. He is doing his job in allowing our elected representatives to keep a check on our government.

It is reassuring that, in spite of having an outrageously undemocratic FPTP voting system, we are still a parliamentary democracy and members of parliament can and should exercise their duty to prevent any measure which they believe would damage our country.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf3PbdgMzIk

Dina, I agree with Lemon, no one should be obsessing about anything at all. And if parents are obsessing about Oxford, then I feel sorry for their poor, pressurised children.

Maddyone (and others) It's the parents obsessing about Oxbridge.

The vast majority of Oxford students did not go to Eton. Approximately 50% went to comprehensive schools. So who’s obsessing about Oxford!

But we all know that comprehensive schools vary wildly and the top comprehensives out do the majority of independent schools for getting their pupils to Oxbridge. It’s only the top independent schools alongside the top state schools that send many students to Oxbridge. For example, St Olave’s reports that it has sent over 200 students to Oxbridge over the last seven years. It says that 2016 was it’s best year with 40 offers from Oxbridge and 27 for medicine, I presume the 27 were at a variety of medical schools.

Many have decided on the direction of travel though, if not the actual career, and absolutely - no need to obsess about Oxbridge (or Eton)

Many haven’t already decided on career choices at that point though.
Nobody, to my mind, should obsess about anything at all.
?night all, it’s very late zzzzzzz

Ok - then we’ll disagree lemon. I think that the pupils who wish to go to university are usually intelligent enough to choose the one that best suits their career choices, their personal circumstances, their values and so on, as opposed to obsessing about Oxbridge.

Labaik if she went to a ‘rough’ comprehensive and could get a place at Oxford, it does seem a shame that she didn’t take it.
She didn’t really know that she would hate it after all and wouldn’t that be inspiring to the pupils that she went on to teach?
No SirChenjin am not at all sure that we do agree, especially with the word ‘many’.
Trying for a place at Oxford is not the same as actually getting one, but I believe that schools should do their level best to encourage young people from all walks of life who are very able, to at least have a go.

Your daughter sounds like an inspirational and and eminently sensible young woman Labaik

We appear to agree that many of the most intelligent pupils have varied and valid reasons for not wishing to apply for Oxbridge lemon

lemon; She would have got a place there and she would have done very well. But she didn't want to live in that sort of environment; she knows she would have hated it. She was happy to go to a rough comprehensive, a decent uni and then teach at other rough comprehensives in the hope that by doing so she could help young people achieve their full potential. However, government cuts to education have meant that she's given up on full time teaching albeit still trying to help in other ways.

And I agree with you too Day6.

Probably as surprised as I am at how many people adore/respect Farage...

I agree with you on all your points Lemon.

Must say I am surprised by all the posters on here who profess to really like Bercow, a pompous puffed up unpleasant character with a reputation of upsetting women

It is a mystery to me too lemon.

He is the worst speaker in living memory. Treacherous, crude and lacking in impartiality.

....and so does inverted snobbery SirChenjin !

Labaik Your DD may well have enjoyed Oxford had she got a place there, but if the thought of it was too much for her then you did the right thing.
Schools, do of course like the fact that they can get their more able pupils into Oxbridge, but it’s also a duty to their pupils, which is why maddyone’s DH and many more teachers like him encourage schools to be more ambitious on their behalf.
A lot of people complain that Oxbridge is too ‘elitist’ but until more state school pupils try and get places there it won’t become less so.So, to accomplish that end, schools must aspire more.

You’re absolutely correct - snobbery does put off many very intelligent pupils from applying to Oxbridge.

There is nothing wrong ( just the opposite in fact) in very able and academic young people aspiring to get into Oxford or Cambridge regardless of which kind of school they attend.
There is snobbery and there is inverted snobbery which unfortunately puts pupils off if their schools don’t back them up by suggesting they try for an Oxbridge place.
Many good state schools do of course, but quite a lot don’t, which means a lottery for the young people and missed opportunities.

Yes, London is well known as one of the most expensive cities in the world in which to live.

My daughter went to UCL and London was extremely expensive for us, she cost us far more than both our boys, despite Oxford, whilst she was at university.

I think Oxford and Cambridge are both pretty expensive places to live. Leeds and Nottingham suited my two just fine.

I wish all comps ( teachers within) would encourage able pupils to put themselves forward for Oxbridge.Why don’t they? Inverted snobbery?

Perhaps they don't wish to be associated with the sort of person who make disparaging comments about small men from comps having difficulty fitting in at Oxbridge? Or perhaps they choose other universities for all sorts of more practical reasons. It could be either, really.

DD's school put a lot of pressure on her to apply to Oxbridge. One night I went and sat on the end of her bed and said 'how would you feel if we dropped the idea of Oxbridge' and she said it would take the weight of the whole world off her shoulders. They were doing it more for the glory of the school than for her.

I agree maddyone I wish all comps ( teachers within) would encourage able pupils to put themselves forward for Oxbridge.Why don’t they? Inverted snobbery?
Hopefully things are getting better in that respect.
I applaud anyone who works hard to get an Oxbridge place.
Yes, some comps are really more like private schools, Holland Park, St Olaves etc.
My daughter had friends from both public schools and state
But did speak of how Oxford ( her College particularly) was intimidating at times.