Oxford and Cambridge need to look at themselves instead of trying to blame schools for a lack of diversity among their students, according to Labour MP David Lammy.

He accused Oxford and Cambridge of “hiding” their failings and being “defensive”.

The former higher education minister commented: “It is all excuses: it’s the child’s fault, it’s the school’s fault, it is the education system’s fault.

“It is never ever, ever the college’s fault, never the tutor’s fault, never any acknowledgement that the burden for this young person [to go to Oxbridge] is a considerable burden”.

His remarks come just weeks after Mr Lammy published data on his website showing that 82 per cent of Oxbridge offers went to applicants from the top two social classes.

The information, obtained using the Freedom of Information Act, also showed how pupils from the South of England and London had a greater chance of getting a place than those from the North of England.

The lack of diversity was also exposed by figures showing that a quarter of Cambridge colleges failed to make any offers to black British applicants between 2010 and 2015. Almost one in three Oxford colleges did not admit any black British A-level students in 2015.

‘Don’t shoot the messenger’

Speaking in an interview with Times Higher Education today, the Labour MP commented that getting the information had been like “getting blood out of a stone” and added: “Then, because I raise it, they want to shoot the messenger”.

Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, who may have to look after relatives or work to help bring in money, have to be brighter than someone with similar grades from a privileged background, he said.

“The poorer young person who is on the 24th floor of a ‘Grenfell Tower’ hasn’t got a school that is able to jump over the hoops that a public school or a grammar school is able to”, Mr Lammy remarked.

Diversity challenge

The MP recently sent a letter to Cambridge and Oxford universities, co-signed by more than 100 parliamentarians, demanding they take action to help ensure that all pupils have an equal chance of getting a place at Oxbridge.

Cambridge vice-chancellor Stephen Toope said in response to Mr Lammy’s letter: “Low attainment at school is caused by complex socio-economic factors that take root in a child’s earliest years and are compounded at every stage of their school life.

“Nevertheless, the University of Cambridge will continue to intensify its outreach efforts. We are expanding our bursary schemes and are developing a range of other innovative measures.”

Oxford University has yet to respond to the MP’s letter, but a spokesman for the university said: “We are currently detailing and analysing our outreach activity in each MP’s constituency, and we aim to be in a position to send these tailored responses in the coming days”.

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