Universities require 'rich kid' students to learn to get along

(Dan Tri) - The Board of Directors of Edinburgh University (Scotland) admitted that there are problems related to discrimination in terms of origin among students studying at the school.

Recently, Edinburgh University attracted attention when it announced that it would require students from privileged backgrounds, families with good economic and educational backgrounds, to learn how to integrate into the university environment.

Through student opinion surveys, the school's board of directors said that many students from disadvantaged families are feeling miserable because of psychological trauma caused by students from advantaged backgrounds.

Edinburgh University campus (Photo: DM).

Currently, the University of Edinburgh is implementing a policy of expanding the student body to study at the school. The entrance criteria, including economic criteria, have been reduced by the school. Therefore, in recent years, the school has welcomed more students from families with difficult economic conditions.

However, the school's humane policy is facing problems, as many "poor" students become self-conscious and inferior when studying here. These students said they were discriminated against by their classmates, and had to endure provocative attitudes, words, and behaviors regarding the way they dressed or talked.

The school has used the stories of some students as specific examples. One student said that the "rich" students showed their reassurance to the "poor" students in a rather... sensitive way: "In a lesson revolving around inheritance tax knowledge, we discussed our own inheritance issues.

Some of you both sympathized and secretly mocked me by saying: "Don't worry, you can't be a manual laborer. You've been to college." You even openly expressed your opinion in class that the rich have a lot of money because they work very hard, even much harder than manual laborers in many aspects.

Another student's story was also cited as evidence: "It was only when I went to university that I truly realized the harshness surrounding the issue of class origin. Before, I lived in my community and did not see any problems. However, now, I feel lonely in the university environment, because all around me are people from better backgrounds than me."

To initially address this issue, the school issued a notice asking students not to engage in negative acts of discrimination based on differences in economic background, education, or social status. In particular, students from families with more ideal conditions are asked to work with the school to create a diverse and equal learning environment.

Lonely student at school (Illustration: Freepik).

High school graduates from expensive private schools make up 40% of the student body at the University of Edinburgh. To help students from "rich families" integrate, the school's board of directors advised in a notice: "When meeting classmates, ask about their hobbies, interests, and dreams, not just about their background."

The university administration also frankly admitted that at the University of Edinburgh, the number of students from middle-class families or those with difficult economic conditions is a minority. However, the university emphasized in the announcement that, in the overall picture of society in general, those from middle-class families or those with difficult economic circumstances are the majority.

Therefore, the school requires students from privileged backgrounds to learn appropriate behavior and not to think that wealth means being smarter and more hardworking than others.

The school also emphasized that teenagers born into disadvantaged families often suffer because they are not encouraged and supported by their families to pursue long-term studies, yet these teenagers have academic performance that is not inferior to teenagers from privileged backgrounds.

In response to the announcement that is attracting public attention, a representative of the University of Edinburgh responded to the media: "We are proud of our efforts to create a diverse student community, and we will do everything we can to eliminate discrimination.

The school will strive to provide students with the highest quality learning experiences. We have established clear standards for communication and behavior for both lecturers and students of the school."

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/truong-dai-hoc-yeu-cau-sinh-vien-con-nha-giau-hoc-cach-hoa-dong-20241115154844599.htm