EDINBURGH University has warned that Scottish students continually face discrimination from English classmates, despite recent efforts to curb campus “snobs”.
The principal for the Russell Group institution Peter Mathieson said the issue persists three months after it was highlighted by the university’s equalities unit.
Mathieson addressed “stories in the media about ridicule of Scottish students because of their accents by other students” at a university general council meeting on Saturday.
One former student asked what the university was doing about “racial discrimination and class ridicule by self-perceived superior English incomers against native students”.
The principal responded: “there is definitely unacceptable behaviour among student populations” and that the university is working to root it out.
He continued: “We felt, and still feel, that this is a problem that we were conscious of. It is not as substantial a problem as has been portrayed but it definitely exists.
“I don’t have a Scottish accent, but I was ridiculed for my West Country accent when I was at medical school in London, so it is not a new phenomenon but it is not something that we wish to see in the university directed at any group of students, and we have got active programmes to try and detect it and respond to it when it happens.”
In November Edinburgh University issued guidance to students saying “Don’t be a snob!” and told students to avoid acting “surprised or shocked if people’s knowledge is different from you”.
This followed The Scottish Social Mobility Society, a student-formed anti-discrimination watchdog, has received over 200 reports of Scots being mocked over their backgrounds since its formation.
Both lecturers and non-Scottish students have been accused of mimicking and ridiculing the Scottish accent.
Updated guidance since removed the word “snob”. Official advice now asks students to “recognise that people’s knowledge is different to yours but no less valuable”.
An Edinburgh University spokeswoman said the guidance on “snobbery” was removed as part of process of continuous review “to ensure our guidance is up to date and in line with specialist advice”.
Professor Colm Harmon, vice-principal of students at the university, said: “We are incredibly proud of our diverse community and strongly believe that bringing together students from a range of countries, cultures and experiences helps to enrich the lives of everyone studying, teaching and working with us.
“It is upsetting to hear reports of negative experiences and these concerns are being addressed within our community. Discrimination has no place at our university and we work hard to create an inclusive environment that allows all of our students to have the best experience possible during their studies.”
