College for the rich.

Move over, Oxbridge. Pipe down, Cambridge. A new academic giant looms: the New College of the Humanities will open its doors next year. The college, brainchild of Prof AC Grayling, will teach only the humanities (as suggested by the name) and will use a tutorial system. 


We saw Jamie Olivers 'Dream School' now we have something a bit more adult. Grayling together with Richard Dawkins, Niall Ferguson, Sir Christopher Ricks and various other academic superstars, are setting up a University which will be based in Bloomsbury aimed at taking on "the cream of the rejects." (as quoted by our Mr Boris Johnson)
The concept of such a rejects college does seem very vague. Another high entry (3 As and extra curriculum) , high fee (£18, 000) college, doesn't seem like the saviour college to the everyman. Who are these "rejects", I ask? These rejects that can afford an £54, 000 tuition fee for a degree? At such a price I can’t see hosts of wannabe students forming orderly queues outside its Bloomsbury campus.


Let me set the scene for you reader- a gorgeous neo-classical quadrangle, designed by Robert Adam or someone like that. Which would have a prospectus full of the Reject’s College arms and the lawns with snaggle-toothed lecturers leering at their pupils over a bottle of chilled white wine. Thats my vision.

But to the facts- the college will offer eight University of London degrees covering law, economics, history, English literature and philosophy taught by “some of the world’s most prominent intellectuals”, officials said.

To me this new university will fail because it will not encourage students to pursue a range of subjects and allow their curiosity a free rein; for Grayling, a secular liberal, the “Humanities” arena is very carefully circumscribed to include only those subjects he deems worthy of study. And with Dawkins in tow, whose success lies in books like "The God Delusion" it was clear that there will be no place for theology within the curriculum. The Bible, a classic text that every student of the humanities should be familiar with, won’t get a look in. One step closer to the type of student at this "rejects" college- they are both affluent and atheist.


But the official type-cast of the 1, 000 students to attend Graylings Uni wont be constructed until the doors open for teaching in Autumn 2012. 


Better start applying smarty-pants!


-ZB