The BBC reports that there is clear evidence that summer-born children are less likely to be admitted to Oxbridge. This isn't new, and the effect has been widely studied – see, for example, Freakonomics on sport. I have blogged and written about this before, always declaring my interest as an August-born child. But here, there seems to be very clear evidence – numerical, statistical, hard evidence – that 30% more October-born children are admitted than July-born children.
What struck me, though, was that in the face of this evidence, evidence that they themselves had supplied to the BBC, the universities "insisted that there was no evidence for the claim".
Ignoring the stupidity of this position, it does not say much for the universities' commitment to truth and rigour. The only reason I can see for denying the evidence is that they can then do nothing to remedy the position.
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