What I learned about class and privilege from cleaning my uni mates’ toilets at Oxford

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The experience of cleaning my uni mates’ toilets during the holidays was one that had me thinking long and hard about two big words: class and privilege. Discussions of my holiday jobs have opened my eyes to a portion of the middle classes who believe that academic dedication will always be a priority over work experience, a class of parents who would rather their children wholly give their time over to intellectual pursuit rather than gain experience of the workplace. To keep up to speed with all the latest opinions and comment, sign up to our free weekly Voices Dispatches newsletter by clicking here As the job went on, I became increasingly aware of a concerning culture where certain qualities, particularly intellectual ones, seem to place a person above other tasks and duties.