Oxbridge

Two universities, Oxford and Cambridge, Oxbridge, as they are sometimes jointly called, for seven hundred years dominated British education, and today they dominate more than ever. The students of Oxbridge make up one of the most elite elites in the world. Many great men studied here. Among them Bacon, the philosopher, Milton, the poet, Cromwell, the soldier, and Newton, the scientist. Many prominent Conservative and Labour leaders and ministers, members of the Royal family studied there too.

Today Oxford and Cambridge have less than one-tenth of all British university students (less than 1% of Britain’s population). Only a small per cent of the candidates are chosen- mainly on the results of the written examinations.

The division between Oxford and Redbrick is sharp. The division is essentially a class one. A large per cent of Oxford undergraduates come from public schools. Only since the 1870s women have been admitted and the women’s colleges constitute only 12% of the Oxbridge population.

Oxford and Cambridge preserve an antique way of life in the midst of the twentieth century. Oxbridge is only in session half the year. Both Oxford and Cambridge now consist of self-governing colleges where students live. The students have lectures and tutorials. Each student has a tutor who tells him to write papers on the subjects he is studying. Tutors are responsible for the students’ progress.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-11