A reputable UK university has warned its students not to discriminate against one another on the basis of class, citing instances of prejudice as the reason why it has issued new guidance regarding student conduct.
"Don't be a snob!" authorities wrote in correspondence to students, further advising: "when you meet new people, be curious about their interests and aspirations rather than their backgrounds."
Superb call-in on #LBC with James O'Brien after Edinburgh University felt the need to issue guidance, a code of conduct, to new students: monied, entitled students overlording those fr state schools. Breathtaking yet pathetic in this day and age #2024Britain #UniversityEducation
— Patricia C Byron (@PatriciaCByron) November 11, 2024
Scotland's Edinburgh University has acknowledged that class-based discrimination exists within its student body, sharing examples that took place in conversations between students.
"You can't be working class because you're at university," one Edinburgh student was told, according to the Scottish Daily Express.
"We were discussing inheritance tax in class, and people have explicitly said that they have more money because they 'just worked harder'," the student said. "My father is a manual labourer but I don't think he works any less hard than their dad at his desk job."
"I guess I knew I was working class, but I'm not sure how much it was really present to me when I was living at home," said another student. "Like so many people I know from home, it was only going to uni that made us realise how working class we are. It's so weird being isolated, surrounded by middle-class and privileged people."
"Now I just assume I'm going to be surrounded by people who are better off than me," the student continued.
Edinburgh University has had a serious problem with social class & prejudice for decades. I did my PhD at UofE over 20 yrs ago. There was overt prejudice & discrimination, particularly in certain departments.
— Simon Forrest (@SimonForrest11) November 12, 2024
"Those attending private schools make up 40% of the intake."
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The University has previously acknowledged issues with class-based discrimination, noting that the fact that 40% of its students come from private high schools exacerbates the issue.
"At the University of Edinburgh, students who come from middle to lower socio-economic backgrounds are in a minority," authorities wrote in their updated guidance. "However, in wider UK society they are the majority."
"Don't assume that everyone's life or family is like yours," they continued. "Try to undo some of the unhelpful mythology about the relationship of wealth to intelligence or hard work."
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