http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7003253.stm

Quite a depressing report. I don't know what can be done about this and I wouldn't generally advocate positive discrimination or a quota system but maybe it is the way forward, given that for example state school pupils have been shown to do better at Oxford on average than those privately educated.
Maybe the balance needs to be re-addressed.

Maybe more emphasis placed on perceived potential rather than competence? or less on tests/interviews that can be trained for and more on other assessment approaches e.g psychometrics (although again not a fan).

Any thoughts?