A brief but heartfelt post

Posting has been nonexistent due to a week's leave and a couple of days trying to catch up. Here is a brief  word on the draft HEFCE Equality Scheme. It really is beyond pitiful that an organisation spending so much public money, with such clear statutory duties to uphold and having itself published the clearest possible evidence of the institutional racism of our sector should commit itself to such feeble policy:

Objective 2 To work with the HE sector to address lower degree attainment by black and minority ethnic groups (Aim C)Evidence from HESA shows a significant gap between the attainment, progression and graduate destination of BME students and those of white students9. In helping the sector address this, we will: convene an expert working group in 2011-12 to review the current position and make recommendations present the issue for discussion at a HEFCE Board meeting in 2011, and take forward its recommendations in relevant policy development continue to indicate the importance of improving BME attainment in our continuing partnership with the Higher Education Academy.

Let's just remind ourselves what HEFCE's own research found on this issue:

differences between the groups can not be wholly explained by the differences in the student profile. In fact, comparing mature White and Black finalists, less than one third of the difference can be explained by the profile.

I aspire to be the most cynical person in any gathering, but sometimes cynicism fails, and only anger will do.