Etonians flood into Who’s Who – the guide to Britain’s establishment
More Old Etonians have entered Who’s Who this year than in any year since 1997, according to research The return of the Conservative party to government has been accompanied by a resurgence in the number of Old Etonian entrants to Who’s Who, long regarded as the definitive guide to the British establishment. More Old Etonians have entered Who’s Who this year than in any year since 1997, according to research by the Guardian. Thirty-one of the 1,008 new entrants attended the school. In total, 1,225 Old Etonians grace the book’s pages – only 20 fewer than 18 years before. The findings also show the resurgence of the UK’s elite universities and members’ clubs, revealing a glacially slow pace of change. Who’s Who – biographical listings of Britain’s senior politicians, judges, civil servants and notable figures from the arts, academia and other areas – is widely seen as the standard reference book for the UK’s governing classes. Eton has long dominated its pages, with roughly four times as many alumni listed as its public-school rival Harrow. But in recent years, the number of Old Etonians entering the listings had been falling, with only 16 in each of the 2009 and 2010 lists. The coalition government is dominated by former public school pupils. Within days of the appointment of the cabinet in May 2010, it was revealed that 16 senior ministers attended public schools. David Cameron and the Commons leader, Sir George Young, went to Eton, as did Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin, while 222 alumni of Nick Clegg’s alma mater, Westminster school, have made their way into Who’s Who pages. In total, more than 2,300 people in Who’s Who attended the top five public schools – Eton, Charterhouse, Harrow, Rugby and Marlborough. Oxford and Cambridge graduates also continue to dominate the establishment. A study in the Sunday Times in 1993 found the proportion of new Who’s Who entrants from Britain’s two oldest universities had fallen to 27%. Though fewer than 2% of students attend Oxford or Cambridge, 32% of entrants to Who’s Who in 2011 went to one of the two universities. About one in three people – 11,700 out of 34,210 – listed in Who’s Who attended Oxford or Cambridge. Cambridge, with 5,985 alumni listed, was ahead of Oxford on 5,776. In contrast, Edinburgh, in third place, had just 913 listings. The findings echo comments made last month by the Conservative MP David Davis after the publication of the government’s social mobility strategy. “Britain is probably now the most stratified society in the western world,” he wrote on Politics Home. “Equality of opportunity has been declining for at least four decades, and the postwar ‘golden era’ of social mobility is a rapidly dimming memory.” Cameron and Clegg clashed after the initiative’s launch over the issue of MPs and other public figures giving unpaid internships to the children of friends and relatives. Clegg had attacked internships, saying: “We want a fair job market based on merit, not networks. It should be about what you know, not who you know.” One field in which Who’s Who is gradually changing is the addition of women. While fewer than one in eight people listed are female, the proportion of women entrants has been gradually increasing over the last 15 years, from 11% in 1996 to 23% in 2011 – the largest figure so far. The extracurricular interests of those listed have also changed little in 30 years. The gentleman’s club the Athenaeum was the most-represented institution, with 916 members. The MCC at Lord’s was close behind with 832, followed by the Garrick (626), Royal Automobile (498) and Reform (439) clubs. Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, said the continued dominance of the professions by Oxbridge and private schools highlighted the importance of widening university access. “These findings demonstrate Oxbridge still opens doors in an unparalleled way,” he said. “This makes their failure to really make progress in attracting students from the poorest and non-traditional backgrounds more important than ever. “It is still remarkable that private schools make up 7% of the school population but 50% of Oxbridge. It’s a problem for society as a whole.” Private schools Schools Equality guardian.co.uk
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Etonians flood into Who’s Who – the guide to Britain’s establishment
More Old Etonians have entered Who’s Who this year than in any year since 1997, according to research The return of the Conservative party to government has been accompanied by a resurgence in the number of Old Etonian entrants to Who’s Who, long regarded as the definitive guide to the British establishment. More Old Etonians have entered Who’s Who this year than in any year since 1997, according to research by the Guardian. Thirty-one of the 1,008 new entrants attended the school. In total, 1,225 Old Etonians grace the book’s pages – only 20 fewer than 18 years before. The findings also show the resurgence of the UK’s elite universities and members’ clubs, revealing a glacially slow pace of change. Who’s Who – biographical listings of Britain’s senior politicians, judges, civil servants and notable figures from the arts, academia and other areas – is widely seen as the standard reference book for the UK’s governing classes. Eton has long dominated its pages, with roughly four times as many alumni listed as its public-school rival Harrow. But in recent years, the number of Old Etonians entering the listings had been falling, with only 16 in each of the 2009 and 2010 lists. The coalition government is dominated by former public school pupils. Within days of the appointment of the cabinet in May 2010, it was revealed that 16 senior ministers attended public schools. David Cameron and the Commons leader, Sir George Young, went to Eton, as did Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin, while 222 alumni of Nick Clegg’s alma mater, Westminster school, have made their way into Who’s Who pages. In total, more than 2,300 people in Who’s Who attended the top five public schools – Eton, Charterhouse, Harrow, Rugby and Marlborough. Oxford and Cambridge graduates also continue to dominate the establishment. A study in the Sunday Times in 1993 found the proportion of new Who’s Who entrants from Britain’s two oldest universities had fallen to 27%. Though fewer than 2% of students attend Oxford or Cambridge, 32% of entrants to Who’s Who in 2011 went to one of the two universities. About one in three people – 11,700 out of 34,210 – listed in Who’s Who attended Oxford or Cambridge. Cambridge, with 5,985 alumni listed, was ahead of Oxford on 5,776. In contrast, Edinburgh, in third place, had just 913 listings. The findings echo comments made last month by the Conservative MP David Davis after the publication of the government’s social mobility strategy. “Britain is probably now the most stratified society in the western world,” he wrote on Politics Home. “Equality of opportunity has been declining for at least four decades, and the postwar ‘golden era’ of social mobility is a rapidly dimming memory.” Cameron and Clegg clashed after the initiative’s launch over the issue of MPs and other public figures giving unpaid internships to the children of friends and relatives. Clegg had attacked internships, saying: “We want a fair job market based on merit, not networks. It should be about what you know, not who you know.” One field in which Who’s Who is gradually changing is the addition of women. While fewer than one in eight people listed are female, the proportion of women entrants has been gradually increasing over the last 15 years, from 11% in 1996 to 23% in 2011 – the largest figure so far. The extracurricular interests of those listed have also changed little in 30 years. The gentleman’s club the Athenaeum was the most-represented institution, with 916 members. The MCC at Lord’s was close behind with 832, followed by the Garrick (626), Royal Automobile (498) and Reform (439) clubs. Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, said the continued dominance of the professions by Oxbridge and private schools highlighted the importance of widening university access. “These findings demonstrate Oxbridge still opens doors in an unparalleled way,” he said. “This makes their failure to really make progress in attracting students from the poorest and non-traditional backgrounds more important than ever. “It is still remarkable that private schools make up 7% of the school population but 50% of Oxbridge. It’s a problem for society as a whole.” Private schools Schools Equality guardian.co.uk
Posted by
on May 20, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News.
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