Cambridge University* has banned all uniforms or national costume (including kilts) from its graduation ceremonies. According to a ranting politician this is of course “elitist“. Actually it’s the opposite: everyone is expected to dress in exactly the same way, regardless of accidents of birth. Besides, Cambridge is an elite university. Get over it. At least these days it makes some effort to discriminate on the basis of achievement rather than (as it did for far too long in the past) pedigree.
Sadly, religious dress escapes this regulation. The history of the institution and the nature of its establishment (not to mention that of this country) give the university authorities no real choice in the matter. It’s a shame, though, that Europe’s finest centre of scientific learning should have to defer to witch doctors. No doubt ranting politicians would call that “racist” or “Islamophobic”. I’m with Paul.
[*Declaration of disinterest: I might have taught in the university, but I have never taught for the university or on any of its official degree programmes. As my personal pages have emphasised for some time, I am not employed by Cambridge but by the Medical Research Council—for the time being—and I’m not speaking on behalf of the MRC either.]
Some wag will pitch up in a kilt and Islamic headwear, saying that it is his gender identity that requires him to wear both. Who’d dare defrock him?
I always find it curious the european fascination with “pedigree” in public, or the removal of any vestiges therefrom. I mean, I understand the historical reasons that it could be frowned upon or be tabloid-fodder, or maybe viewed as a little boorish or something, but this just seems to be making a mountain out of a molehill. But maybe that’s just the engineer in me, I don’t place much stock in symbolism to begin with. On the other hand, I find any effort falling in the category of “ban this, ban that” extremely disturbing, particularly ideas. If it was so bad to begin with, I would think that you would want it to be exposed as such in the arena of ideas as much as possible.
I also think that banning military uniforms is very distressing, and the height of ivory tower arrogance. Someone who has signed up to place his/her life on the line for the rest of us deserves a little recognition for that fact at the very least.
Cambridge is an elite university, sure, but I don’t believe everyone who studies there has an elite intellect. Martin Amis writes about ‘closed scholarship dunces’ in a piece about his university days published in ‘My Oxford’ (o/p). Doubtless the same sort of people exist at Fen Tech. I’ve met people for whom an Oxford or Cambridge education is the final part of an educational ‘entitlement’ that includes the right to attend a good prep school and secondary school. I wouldn’t have said they were particularly clever though, just polished.
Take that Nick Griffin. What a mind. Downing College must be very proud of him.