The real point is good breeding, I think. The idea being that if parents, let us say, are well-made enough to arrange decent billets at top educational establishments for their brood, however they do it, then that ought to count for something. Ought to count for alot, in fact. It strongly suggests that they and theirs are of the right sort, regardless of the kids perhaps all being thick ****s.

The acceptance and/or attendance at a good school is the thing, rather than the performance once there. Or even before and after.


Quote Originally Posted by Burney View Post
I do get sick of this notion that where somebody went to school or university is proof of intelligence. It is - apart from anything else - fantastically reductive.

The other day I was thinking about it and realised that many of the people whose intelligence I most respect have never been near a university. Equally, I know a number of people with PhDs I wouldn't leave alone with a box of matches.

Much of what we laughingly call education consists of box-ticking exercises and is in and of itself no proof of intelligence whatsoever.