"White people much less qualified than me got offers. I didn't." So reads an email recently sent to OUSU from a disappointed and angry Oxford applicant. A case of sour grapes? Yet when the claim of institutional racism is made repeatedly and backed by the statistic that only 21, or 0.7%, of admissions were awarded to black students, it appears compelling. But in reality, this fashionable phrase seems wrongly applied and ultimately counterproductive.
Last week, the University was accused of "prejudice" by David Lammy, a black government minister. Zakir Hussein, ex-Chair of OUSU's Anti-Racism campaign, claims that Oxford is "institutionally racist." He asserts that not only is the number of black students unrepresentative, but also amongst academic staff, an assessment confirmed by Louise McMullen OUSU's Vice President for Access and Academic Affairs.
In 2003, 141 black students made up 1.25% of Oxford applications, compared to 3.7% in university applications countrywide. Of those black applicants, 14.9% were admitted, less than half the success rate of their peers. Hussein believes that this shows an "admissions system designed around privately-educated white males." He pointed to research on how ethnic minorities respond differently to figures of authority, and claimed this meant black and Bangladeshi students are at a disadvantage in interviews. In response to Lammy's comments, the University has pointed out that mixed race admissions to Oxford are three times greater than their respective portion of the population. Indian and Chinese admissions are twice as great. In 2002 only 37 black university applicants countrywide achieved grades AAA at AS and A2. What is one to make of these seemingly opposed facts?
Jane Minto, Director of the admission Office claimed that there was "no evidence" of discrimination and said that her office had run training sessions for all admissions tutors on interview techniques and equal opportunities. It is difficult to see how Oxford might further alter its procedures without compromising on assessment of candidates based on individual merit. Some ethnic minorities seem to thrive in the conditions. Jonan Boto, whose father is Ugandan and mother British, claims that during interview he felt his skin colour "could only work to my advantage". It would seem that Oxford is desperate to improve its flagging access record.
The success of Indian, Chinese and mixed race students combined with black students' poor A-level record suggests that the real reason for black under-representation does not lie with admissions. Accordingly, Maxine Lyseight, joint co-ordinator of the Oxford Access Scheme (OAS), has offered a different analysis. She said that the problem was not racism, but attracting students from low-income backgrounds. Black families are twice as likely as white households to be on low incomes, and Pakistani and Bangladeshi households fare even worse. She said the majority of ethnic minority students at the University were middle class.
Oxford was recently criticised in a report by the Higher Education Council for failing to attract enough working class students. Only 9% of admissions are from lower-income groups, who make up 40% of the population. Lyseight however, claimed that OAS was achieving some success in dispelling the "Oxford myth". In 1991, it helped just six people apply; last year that figure was 304.
She also said that OAS organised Aspiration Days at the University specifically targeting black students aged 14-16 in recognition of the fact that many talented black youngsters write off the possibility of university at an early age. The 141 black applications for 2003 compares to 120 the year before and just 100 in 2001. She said an increase in funding would enable OAS to expand on this progress.
Aisha Washington, President of the Mango SOBO (Students of Black Origin) society, agreed but said that there was "only so much the university can do" given that it lacks the "huge endowments" of American Ivy League universities. Sivakumaran Sivathillainathan, a fresher, is the first ever Oxford student from his state school. He said that it was counter-productive to make unjustistified claims of racism, which will only succeed in putting more young people off applying in a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The situation regarding race and Oxford is undoubtedly more complex than first appeared. We should not be complacent, particularly given a recent Mori Poll which found that four out of ten white people want to live in areas without ethnic minorities. The University has a duty to ensure considerable funding for schemes encouraging talented students from all backgrounds to apply to Oxford, but results will take time. Perceptions of Oxford as too "white" or too "elitist" cannot be changed overnight.
A still greater obligation however, must be placed on the government. The fact that only 37 black students achieved the highest available grades at A-level is a shocking indictment of the education policy in this country. Poverty of ambition lies at the heart of the matter. Students everywhere must be given the support and encouragement needed to succeed academically from an early age. Parents, schools and community organisations must take responsibility. Without this groundwork, Oxford cannot create an ethnically and socially diverse university on its own.