Beorn
03-21-2010, 12:19 AM
Edinburgh University has rejected accusations it is "anti-English" for giving priority to local applicants in certain subjects.
It has caused anger among some teachers in England who said they would urge their students not to apply.
Edinburgh has said it favours applicants from the Lothians, Fife, Borders, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire.
The university said that last year 38.3% of English applicants received an offer of a place.
However, a statement on the university's website said: "We want to make sure that our local applicants are not prevented from studying their chosen subject because of the pressure on popular subject areas.
"For certain degree programmes we will give additional weighting to applications from schools in the local area (defined as City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Scottish Borders, Fife, Falkirk and district and Clackmannanshire."
It adds that priority will then be given to students applying from the rest of Scotland as well as Cumbria, Northumberland, Durham, Teeside and Tyne and Wear in the north of England.
Richard Cairns, headmaster of fee-paying Brighton College, said this discriminated against applicants in the rest of England, particularly the south.
He said that 25 of the 27 applications from Brighton College students to Edinburgh University were turned down.
'Intense pressure'
He added: "I think it is outrageous that any university should discriminate against young people because of where they live.
"Scotland used to have a proud tradition of looking outwards and attracting some of the greatest international minds to its universities.
"Edinburgh has opted to turn in on itself and in a manner that strikes me as potentially both illegal and racist."
Andrew Halls, headmaster of King's College School, Wimbledon, south-west London, said: "We will be advising students not to apply in future, until they sort out their rather perverse admissions, which appears to be anti-English.
"There is a very clear pattern that Edinburgh is not making offers."
An Edinburgh University spokesman denied the claims and added: "In common with other selective universities, the University of Edinburgh wishes to ensure that highly able students from its local area are encouraged to study at one of their local universities, despite intense pressure on places.
"For this reason, local applicants are afforded a small weighting in the admissions selection process."
Source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8577100.stm)
Well done Edinburgh university. Keep it local I say.
Look after your own and nearest before anyone else.
It has caused anger among some teachers in England who said they would urge their students not to apply.
Edinburgh has said it favours applicants from the Lothians, Fife, Borders, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire.
The university said that last year 38.3% of English applicants received an offer of a place.
However, a statement on the university's website said: "We want to make sure that our local applicants are not prevented from studying their chosen subject because of the pressure on popular subject areas.
"For certain degree programmes we will give additional weighting to applications from schools in the local area (defined as City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Scottish Borders, Fife, Falkirk and district and Clackmannanshire."
It adds that priority will then be given to students applying from the rest of Scotland as well as Cumbria, Northumberland, Durham, Teeside and Tyne and Wear in the north of England.
Richard Cairns, headmaster of fee-paying Brighton College, said this discriminated against applicants in the rest of England, particularly the south.
He said that 25 of the 27 applications from Brighton College students to Edinburgh University were turned down.
'Intense pressure'
He added: "I think it is outrageous that any university should discriminate against young people because of where they live.
"Scotland used to have a proud tradition of looking outwards and attracting some of the greatest international minds to its universities.
"Edinburgh has opted to turn in on itself and in a manner that strikes me as potentially both illegal and racist."
Andrew Halls, headmaster of King's College School, Wimbledon, south-west London, said: "We will be advising students not to apply in future, until they sort out their rather perverse admissions, which appears to be anti-English.
"There is a very clear pattern that Edinburgh is not making offers."
An Edinburgh University spokesman denied the claims and added: "In common with other selective universities, the University of Edinburgh wishes to ensure that highly able students from its local area are encouraged to study at one of their local universities, despite intense pressure on places.
"For this reason, local applicants are afforded a small weighting in the admissions selection process."
Source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8577100.stm)
Well done Edinburgh university. Keep it local I say.
Look after your own and nearest before anyone else.