2 years ago

The BBC's University Challenge is accused of treating non-Oxbridge institutions as 'second class'

The BBC has been accused of elitism over its 'rigged' University Challenge rules which treat non-Oxbridge universities as 'second class.' In a series of complaints to the BBC, Frank Coffield, emeritus professor of education at University College London, said the show's 'grotesque' Oxbridge bias breaks the corporation's impartiality rules and perpetuates elitism in the UK. The rules of University Challenge allow separate colleges from Oxford and Cambridge to enter while limiting all other universities to one team each Critics hit out at the 'grotesque, inequitable and indefensible' rules. Pictured: Former show host Jeremy Paxman In one letter, Prof Coffield, who is also a visiting professor at Sunderland, wrote: 'Each of the 70-plus Oxbridge colleges is allowed to compete in University Challenge, but huge civic universities like Manchester and Birmingham are allowed only one entry each. The BBC's complaints service said in reply: 'All institutions that deliver higher education courses at the level of bachelor's degree or equivalent or higher are welcome to apply to take part on University Challenge.

Daily Mail
University Bbc Colleges Institutions Oxford Cambridge Challenge University Challenge Second Class Jeremy Paxman Oxbridge

Discover Related