Edinburgh University accused by head of independent school over its policy to attract local students

Amid the growing clamour last week about university funding, an extraordinary accusation of racism was hurled at the University of Edinburgh by the headteacher of an independent school in Brighton, who accused the Scottish establishment of social engineering. The head of the £5,000-a-term Brighton College, Richard Cairns, was enraged over the university's policy of encouraging local people on to its most popular courses and said it was discrimination "against young people because of where they live".

Cairns, whose own school charges overseas students more in fees than British ones, said it was "outrageous" and suggested Scotland's traditions of attracting the greatest minds to its universities was under threat. Last year 40% of English applicants to the University of Edinburgh won places.

A spokesman for the university pointed out that "local" extended down into north-east England and that the policy was designed so that people would not find themselves squeezed out of a local university because of pressure on places from elsewhere.