Edinburgh University warns students not to be ‘snobs’ towards working-class peers

Edinburgh University has warned privileged students not to be “snobs” towards their working-class peers.

The university has admitted there is a problem of class-related prejudice on campus, with poorer students being “inadvertently or deliberately shamed by more privileged students”.

New guidance issued by the university said affected students include those admitted as part of the “widening participation” policy – under which entry requirements are lowered for people from deprived backgrounds.

The guidance, aimed at counteracting socio-economic “microaggressions”, calls on wealthier students to create a “more inclusive environment”.

Examples of prejudice given include comments about clothing and “lack of knowledge or regional accent”.

An unnamed student who qualified under the policy is quoted in the guidance, saying they had been told: “You can’t be working class because you’re at university.”

“We were discussing inheritance tax in class, and people have explicitly said that they have more money because they ‘just worked harder’,” the student said. “My father is a manual labourer but I don’t think he works any less hard than their dad at his desk job.”

Private school students make up almost 40 per cent of Edinburgh University’s intake of UK domestic students.

In the 2023/2024 academic year, some 26 per cent of Edinburgh's students were from Scotland, 23 per cent from the rest of the UK and just under 50 per cent were international students.

The guidance tells privileged students “Don’t be a snob!” and advises: “When you meet new people, be curious about their interests and aspirations rather than their backgrounds.”

The warning was issued after the Scottish Social Mobility Society complained that lecturers and students frequently mocked and mimicked individuals from north of the border.

“At the University of Edinburgh, students who come from middle to lower socio-economic backgrounds are in a minority,” it said. “However, in wider UK society they are the majority.”

The guidance also states: “Don’t assume that everyone’s life or family is like yours,” and “Try to undo some of the unhelpful mythology about the relationship of wealth to intelligence or hard work.”

Another student quoted in the guidance said: “I guess I knew I was working class, but I’m not sure how much it was really present to me when I was living at home.

“Like so many people I know from home, it was only going to uni that made us realise how working class we are. It’s so weird being isolated, surrounded by middle-class and privileged people.  

“Now I just assume I’m going to be surrounded by people who are better off than me.”

The university recognises that “people from lower socio-economic groups often don’t have the same level of support and encouragement to go to university despite being extremely academically capable”, the guidance says.

An Edinburgh University spokesperson said: “We are incredibly proud of our diverse community, and work hard to create an environment that eliminates discrimination and allows all of our students to have the best experience possible during their studies.

“Our Dignity and Respect policy sets out clear expectations of behaviour, including recognising when comments or behaviour may be harmful or upsetting to others and acting accordingly.

“The university is a recognised leader in its work to attract students from diverse social backgrounds, but also in ensuring they thrive both here and in all their future endeavours.”

This article was amended on 18 November 2024. It previously stated that more than 70 per cent of the university’s students were from England but this was not accurate. Latest figures show that 26% of Edinburgh’s students come from Scotland. The figure of ‘more than 70 per cent’ relates to students from the rest of the UK and overseas students.