Former Welsh secretary and Oxford graduate Paul Murphy is now tasked with getting more Welsh students into Oxford and Cambridge universities, as figures show the numbers accepted from comprehensive schools is falling.
Mr Murphy, who was appointed by the Welsh government last month, believes that as fewer teachers are Oxbridge graduates compared with 40 years ago, a fear of elitism is now holding pupils back. The MP for Torfaen is also concerned the Welsh Baccalaureate (WBQ) might also be putting students at a disadvantage.
“I’m sure there’s lots of youngsters who would like to go but don’t know how to go about it,” he said. “It’s getting rid of the fear of the perceived elitism.”
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