A taste for parrots
Sir: From observation from 8,000 miles away, I think that Roderick Smart is doing a good job (`Cutting the old school tie', 21 August). My impression is that the Oxford and Cambridge admissions system is rather successful when it comes to overseas peo- ple, and I refer in particular to the numer- ous Oxford and Cambridge graduates I meet in Malaysia. However, when it comes
LETTERS
to recruiting from Britain, the opposite would appear to be the case.
Most selection committees seem to go for grey-faced parrots. As a result, I get the impression that British young people of character, whether from government or pri- vate schools, tend to give Oxford and Cam- bridge a miss, and go for more amusing company elsewhere.
There is no point in blaming Oxford and Cambridge generally. We should blame the people who select the selectors. Who are they?
Peter Jenkins
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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