... ...

While 21% of white students were awarded first class degrees, only 3.1% of black students were awarded firsts. This compares with 23.7% Indian students and 17.9% Chinese students who scored firsts.

... ...

Dr Joan Whitehead, from the university's Faculty of Education, said that the findings were not evidence of discrimination.

"I don't think the university is institutionally racist. I don't think a university that does its best to attract and fund overseas students from all ethnic backgrounds can be institutionally racist," said Dr Whitehead.

... ...

The findings emerged from research which had been examining whether female students at Cambridge faced discrimination in the awarding of first-class degrees.

Statistics, statistics...

It's the interpretation of statistics that bewilders me.  

原来Cambridge的Degree也分class啊。
Lao Yu，你知不知道它怎么评定是否给你1st Class还是2nd Class？

Is there a point in this Old Fish?

???

QUOTE (Wabbit @ 25 Feb 2003, 17:32)

Is there a point in this Old Fish?

Thank Wabbit for asking this.

Obviously, I have no interest in how the blacks are doing in Cambridge. What I would like to point out are:

1) Success in enrollment Cambridge doesn't mean you will get the first rate degree automatically. You have to work/study hard or to be intelligent. For example, Prince Charles got the 3rd class in Trinity (in art ?), he is universally recognised as an idiot on his speciality. I have recently been looking for a new recruit for my company, There is one applicant who is now a technical manager but with the 3rd degree in Cambridge. His CV was put in dust bin by my colleagues in the first 10 seconds of reviewing.

2) Originally we thought Chinese were the best oversea students in academics. It is certainly not the case by the statistics.

3) Beware of institutional racisism. It may be an issue even in a highly respectable institution, or may be not.

Actually in terms of skills of teamworking, management and communication English guys are better than us.
Lots of English guys who get offer from Cambridge are very well rounded. Some may be sportsman, musician as well as good debator and mathematician.

QUOTE (zzcjoe @ 27 Feb 2003, 9:58)

Actually in terms of skills of teamworking, management and communication English guys are better than us. Lots of English guys who get offer from Cambridge are very well rounded. Some may be sportsman, musician as well as good debator and mathematician.

Pay respect to ourselves, if we did all that we could, than they are nothing better than us. e.g. when we worked on our project, my partener and me collaborated as well as or even better than the other 2-english students group, so you can't ssee any absolute difference, be confidence.

I have already expected this reply as soon as I posted my message.
What I want to mean is not that English guys are better than us academically. obviously, we are better than them in term of academic ability.
However, with respect to them, I think their excellence in social skills and talent in music, sports, chess and debating need to be noticed.

QUOTE (zzcjoe @ 27 Feb 2003, 16:49)

I have already expected this reply as soon as I posted my message. What I want to mean is not that English guys are better than us academically. obviously, we are better than them in term of academic ability. However, with respect to them, I think their excellence in social skills and talent in music, sports, chess and debating need to be noticed.

I don't think they all have much better talent than us, they just got much more chance to practice before.

Please notice that I did not say "much better" and I did not mean it at all.
I partly agree with "they just got much more chance to practice before. "
Although I appreciate the strong academic ability I benefit from Chinese education, I am sad with the opportunities I lost to develope other skills.
On the other side, if I had English education since I was born, my academic ability may not be as strong as I am now.
......
......

QUOTE (zzcjoe @ 27 Feb 2003, 17:53)

Please notice that I did not say "much better" and I did not mean it at all. I partly agree with "they just got much more chance to practice before. " Although I appreciate the strong academic ability I benefit from Chinese education, I am sad with the opportunities I lost to develope other skills. On the other side, if I had English education since I was born, my academic ability may not be as strong as I am now. ...... ......

Sorry, I am too radical again, that's my fault.

One suggestion, don't look down upon foreigner's elit, you will know soon in Cambridge their academic ability. I agree that we are academically strong, but that's really very relative.