Oxford University and David Cameron clash over black student numbers

[Blue_Tires]

David Cameron has sparked a row with Oxford University over its numbers of black students, after he said it was "disgraceful" that only one black student began studying at the university last year.

Speaking at a PM Direct event in North Yorkshire, he said: "I saw figures the other day that showed that only one black person went to Oxford last year. I think that is disgraceful. We have got to do better than that."

But Oxford accused Cameron of quoting an "inaccurate and highly misleading" figure.

The university's admissions figures for 2009 show that just one "black Caribbean" candidate was accepted for undergraduate study, out of 27 black students in that year's intake. Last autumn, seven black Caribbean candidates were accepted and there was a total of 20 black students in this year's intake.

Downing Street later acknowledged that the prime minister was not specific enough in his wording, but stood by the broader argument over Oxford and race. A spokesperson said: "The wider point he was making was that it is not acceptable for universities like Oxford to have so few students coming from black and minority ethnic groups."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/apr/11/oxford-cameron-black-students