LETTERS Ruskin's role
Sir: There are two articles in the 7 March issue of the Spectator which contain refer- ences to Ruskin College, Oxford. The first is by Peter Jenkins, 'The treason of the hacks', and the second a book review by Colin Welch, 'Freedom from everything'. What very much concerns us about these two articles is that in their separate ways they are helping to perpetuate an inaccu- rate mythology about the college, its ethos and its educatonal practice.
Mr Jenkins's article is based expressly on commentaries by Mr Hugo Young in the Guardian which contained a host of in- accuracies and misrepresentations. We in the college cannot respond in detail to these unfounded comments until such time as the three legal actions that have been brought against us can be determined.
For his part, Mr Welch quotes uncritical- ly from an article in the Sunday Telegraph which was just plain wrong, both about what is taught at Ruskin and the prevailing academic achievements. About 70 per cent of our students go on to degree courses some directly at post-graduate level. Many others return to the industries from which they came to take up positions of responsi- bility and authority.
The college provides an opportunity for people without formal academic qualifica- tions to benefit from higher education. There are all too few such opportunities at present. We do not see it as our task to stuff our students full of dogma nor to reinforce their prejudices. On the con- trary, we are at pains to ensure that ideas and opinions are challenged and scruti- nised in accordance with the best traditions and practices of academic study. Far from being a 'socialist seminary', tutors at the college hold widely differing views and may have made significant contributions to a range of subjects. Some have a long and impressive list of publications to their name. A quick glance at our annual report would demonstrate the breadth of the college's academic interests.
We know that everything we do is very much in the public eye at present but the least that serious journalists could do is to talk to us before writing about the college. John Hughes
Principal, Ruskin College, Oxford
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