28 Oct 07

Current debate about widening participation points to the importance of starting early – and that’s what Oxford’s latest initiative is doing.

28 black boys from across the country are embarking on a four-year programme run in conjunction with the National Black Boys Can Association. The idea is to guide them from Year 9 through to A-levels, and to boost their confidence and academic attainment on the way. It is hoped that this will help them to make the right choices for their education and aim for one of the top universities.

At the launch event at St Anne’s College on Friday 26 October 2007, the boys and their parents were taken through a workshop on Higher Education by Oxford’s admissions Director, Mike Nicholson, who gave them a flavour of what university will have to offer one day – from living away from home and coping with doing your own washing to getting stuck into a topic that really interests you. ‘Don’t choose a course that you think you ought to do, or might lead to good job – follow your heart, do what you enjoy,’ he advised. The boys then had a first chance to try out academic debate in a discussion exercise while the parents attended a session on how best to support their sons in their education.

Antonio Sorzano from Luton said: ‘My English teacher introduced me to the programme because of the grades I got in English. To begin with I didn’t really know much about the programme but once I found out more I was quite happy to do it.’

His mother Trudy added: ‘I think it is a good way forward for young men because there is this issue with continuing education after a certain age. I think it is good to have a programme to give them the push that they need. I certainly think the boys will stick with it because the programme is for both parents and children – so what they might lack we will have and what we may lack they will have.’

Mohammed Mustafa Osman added: ‘I had heard of the Ambassador programme that Oxford runs and was keen to come on it but another boy in my school was chosen. So I’m really happy that I am on this programme now.’
If this pilot is successful, it is planned that further cohorts start in subsequent years.