Affirmative action in education: Debatabase - Debate Topics and Debate Motions
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Intro to Debatabase
Summary: Should universities use positive discrimination to increase Discuss topic
Debatabase Junior diversity?
Contributing Topics
Commission Topics Introduction
My Topics Author:Max Kasriel ( United Kingdom ) Max read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford
Submit Topic University, before going on to do a Masters in Philosophy at Kings College London. He is a European
Suggest Topic Debating Championship Grand-Finalist, four-time competition winner and Chief Adjudicator of the
Oxford Schools Debating Competition 2009/10.
Created: Saturday, September 05, 2009
Last Modified: Saturday, September 05, 2009
Context
Affirmative action (or positive discrimination) is the use of different standards for assessing different
groups of people, so as to help a group that has historically been at a disadvantage (for example,
African-Americans in the USA). In an education context, the relevant type of affirmative action is that
used for admission to universities. In particular, universities may wish to use affirmative action to raise
the presence of poor students or students from ethnic minorities. Such discrimination is a controversial
issue, notably in the United States, although a 2003 Supreme Court decision ruled that universities are
allowed to use the practice. Debates may either be about permitting universities to use positive
discrimination (where it is currently illegal), or about the state requiring them to do so. The mechanism
could be one of two types: either using quotas to determine the outcome of the admissions process
(e.g. requiring universities to admit a certain percentage of students from minority groups, deprived
areas, or non-private schools), or by using different admissions criteria that take race, poverty or school-
2011 Bosnia and Herzegovina background into account.
Leadership Program
Exact dates TBA. Eighteen Arguments
high school students and three
teachers from Bosnia and
Pros Cons
Herzegovina (BiH) attend the
highly interactive Youth Affirmative action is required for equality of Positive discrimination is unfair on talented students
Leadership Program and
opportunity. Under the status quo, it is easier for who lose their places, and on talented students from
accompanying Teacher
students who go to better schools to get into the disadvantaged group. The whole point of
Professional Development
Program, in Salem, Oregon, university. This is reflected in data from the UK - affirmative action is to promote a less able applicant
and Washington, DC. Oxford and Cambridge universities (the top academic ahead of a more able one, measured by their test
institutions) take more than 50% of their students from scores. It undermines the fairness of the system if
More about this event
private schools, despite private schools educating reasonable objective measures of a person’s ability,
only around 7% of children. A similar story is evident such as exam performance and aptitude testing, are
with regards to ethnic minorities - white high school overlooked. Under a system of positive discrimination,
graduates are more than 10% likelier to go to college able students from the majority group or who went to
than black ones in the USA. This is because of the private school are required to achieve more than
opportunities granted to wealthier children, whose others to get the same reward. Furthermore, positive
superior education and less disruptive home lives give discrimination is bad for the talented students from the
them a leg-up. It is unfair that such random aspects, target group who would get into university even
Slovak Debate Association: which have nothing to do with talent or hard work, without affirmative action: the policy will undermine
Bratislava Schools' have such a determining influence on one’s life their achievement, making their peers (and even
Competition chances. Moreover, it undermines meritocracy – by them) believe that they only got to where they were
The Slovak Debate allowing the rich to be advantaged, we create a because of different standards. It would create a two-
Association would like to invite society in which wealth, rather than ability, is tiered university system, in which the achievements of
you to the international rewarded. one group were elevated above the achievements of
Bratislava Schools Debating another.
Competition. The tournament
will take place from 7th to 11th Affirmative action is required to overcome existing There is little or no evidence of bias in universities
April 2011 in Slovakia’s capital prejudice in universities’ admissions procedures. admissions procedures. Universities admissions
city (yep, you guessed it)
Admissions departments in top universities are likely departments go to great lengths to ensure fairness,
Bratislava.
to be discriminating against applicants from minority not least because it is in their own self-interest to take
More about this event backgrounds, even if this process is not deliberate. A only the best applicants, to maintain the intellectual
senior academic will look to see in applicants qualities credibility of their institution. Any overt or explicit
they see in themselves, so, given the overwhelmingly discrimination would be illegal, and should be guarded
white, affluent, male makeup of the academic against by using a wide range of admissions
community, minorities are at a disadvantage even if procedures and interview (where applicable) by more
the admissions officer is not intending to discriminate than one academic. Any charge of prejudice would be
against them. Prejudice towards certain types of an argument for ‘colour-blind’ (or school-blind)
applicants is blatantly unfair, and also undermines admissions, in which the background of the applicant
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Affirmative action in education: Debatabase - Debate Topics and Debate Motions
meritocracy (as explained above). Since we do not is hidden from the admissions officer, so as to prevent
HWS / IDEA Round Robin
expect applicants from minority backgrounds to any possibility of discrimination, subconscious or
In the HWS / IDEA round actually be worse applicants, it makes sense to otherwise. The presence of positive discrimination
robin the International Debate require universities to take more of them, so as to would, if anything, raise the incidence of racism and
Education Association and
protect the system from any bias that may exist. prejudice on university campuses, with lecturers and
Hobart and William Smith
fellow students resentful of members of the university
Colleges are bringing together
an elite and internationally perceived to have been given a helping hand.
diverse group of debaters and
Affirmative action is required to change negative Positive discrimination will increase negative
adjudicators for a weekend of
debate at the highest level. perceptions of university life. In the status quo, many perceptions of university. Far from changing attitudes
talented potential students are put off applying for top about campus life among disadvantaged groups,
More about this event
universities (or university at all) because of their positive discrimination is likely to be seen as
negative perceptions of elite institutions. This patronising, and belittling of the achievements of
perception exists in part because of the makeup of the ethnic minorities and the working class. By making the
student population – black high school students may statement that disadvantaged groups are so far
see a university filled overwhelmingly with white behind the rest that they need discrimination in their
lecturers and students as not being a welcoming favour and quotas, universities will alienate
environment for them, and may even perceive it as themselves from the group they are seeking to help,
racist. The only way to overcome this unfortunate and will come over as elitist. Survey evidence
stereotype of university is to change the student suggests that affirmative action is usually opposed by
IDEA Exchange 2011 – Vilnius
15-17th April! population, but this is impossible to do ‘organically’ the target group, affirming the view that people wish to
while so few people from minority backgrounds apply. achieve things for themselves, without being given a
If you are interested in making
Therefore, it is necessary to use quotas and other ‘leg-up’ by the state. Moreover, positive discrimination
a positive change in your
community, if you are working forms of affirmative action, to change the student body devalues the achievements of those who would have
or volunteering for the in the short term, and encourage applications from been accepted into university even without the
promotion of the values of an more disadvantaged students in the long term. assistance, and these people are likely to be deterred
open society, if you are from applying.
interested in debate –
competitive and non- Affirmative action is required to redress social Beneficiaries of positive discrimination won’t be good
competitive, if you would like imbalance, by raising the aspirations of the role models. A role model is someone others can look
to meet other disadvantaged. By having more students from up to and admire for the things they achieved through
More about this event disadvantaged backgrounds, affirmative action will hard work and talent – by parachuting people into
generate more role models for the poor and ethnic university, their ability to act as a role model is
minorities. This is because university graduates have undermined. It is also patronising to assume that
more access to top professions, and are more likely to young people from ethnic minorities can only look up
enter politics, law, or become the heads of major to people who have the same colour skin, or went to
corporations. As a consequence, the aspirations of the same type of school – in a society that admires
disadvantaged youths will change – it will become diversity and cosmopolitanism, we should surely
more realistic for them to see themselves in public life, accept that anyone can act as a role model. Under
Estonian Debating Society and will thus have a better incentive to work hard at this policy, however, there is a real danger that the
and IDEA join forces to
school. Not only is this good for their own government favours some minority groups over others,
organize Estonia Open 2011!
development, but it will also help wider society by thereby inflaming social tensions. For example,
Estonian Open 2011 will be tackling social problems such as petty crime and positive discrimination in California has benefited one
held in British Parliamentary
truancy. Moreover, by having more politicians and minority group, African-Americans, at the expense of
Style: 5 preliminary rounds
with 5-minute speeches, businesspeople from humbler backgrounds, there is a another, Asian-Americans.
followed by semi-finals and chance that the political and economic structure of
Grand Final with 7-minute society will be changed to further assist the less well-
speeches. Team cap for the off, for example by expanding welfare systems and
tournament is 36 and N-1 ensuring greater equality of opportunities, or through
judging rule applies for the different hiring practices.
teams. Chi
More about this event There is a benefit to students of all backgrounds from It is wishful thinking to believe that this policy will
a policy of affirmative action in university admissions. overcome such embedded social problems as youth
College is not just about attending lectures and taking crime and truancy – this policy merely papers over the
exams, it is also about the development of character cracks by masking the fact that the failures of state-
and the broadening of the mind. If a university is funded schooling and attempts at integration have led
overwhelmingly white and privileged, students are not to a situation in which ethnic minorities and the poor
exposed to different cultures, viewpoints and social are so vastly underrepresented in universities. The
experiences. By ensuring a diverse social mix on state should do more to address these underlying
campus, universities strengthen the educational problems, rather than covering up its failures with a
experience they provide. tokenistic policy. Better funding of state schools, real
parental choice in education, and accountability
through the publication of comparable examination
data would all drive up standards and allow more
underprivileged children to fulfil their potential.
Motions
This House would set quotas for the admission of ethnic minorities to university places
This House would set quotas for the admission of socially disadvantaged groups to university places
That we should force universities to lower admissions criteria when assessing applicants from socially
disadvantaged groups
This House believes that universities should use affirmative action/positive discrimination in their
admissions procedures
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Affirmative action in education: Debatabase - Debate Topics and Debate Motions
Useful Sites
Making the case for Affirmative Action in Higher Education
Affirmative Action on Plato Stanford
Washington Post Affirmative Action Special Report
Understanding Prejudice
‘The Case Against Affirmative Action’ in Stanford Magazine
Cato Institute Policy Analysis
National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP)
Brookings
Project21: Natiuonal Leadership Network of Black Conservatives
Asian American Justice Center
Useful Books
Discrimination (Opposing Viewpoints)
By: Jacqueline Langwith
Affirmative Action (At Issue Series)
By: Paul Connors
Affirmative Action: Social Justice or Unfair Preference
By: Albert Capaldi, Nicholas Mosley
The Affirmative Action Debate
By: George Curry
Ending Affirmative Action: The Case for Colourblind Justice
By: Terry Eastland
Themes
Education
Discuss
View the full discussion
Author Post
rasp807 Posted: Mon Jan 3, 2011 09:12 am
Member
Affirmitive action is required to give disadvantage students to have a chance to attend
a better school. In many cases, the rich have more opportunity to choose a good
school than the poor. Ethnic minorities and the poor should be able to have that
opportunity as well. It stops the cycle of poverty as well and promotes diversities of
students. Those people will be motivated by the presence of affirmitive action and will
work harder to achieve their goal.
ellie-y Posted: Mon Jan 3, 2011 07:31 am
Member
I disagree with affirmative action in educational situation. Whoever couldn't enter the
university because of affirmative action must think it is unfair. Universities can't rob
the right to enter of the students who have studied so hard. Not only for them but for
all students, there is no advantage by taking that action. Even worse, affirmative
action may bring the new descrimination or bias. If we take affirmative action for poor
students of ethnic minorities, that means we think we have to take special exception
because they are inferior to rich and majority students. Is that right? I don't think so. If
universities want to do something good for them, they have to find another solution
such as giving much schlorship or the classes for ethnic minorities.
Debatabase Posted: Sat Sep 5, 2009 02:34 pm
Member
Author: Max Kasriel (United Kingdom) Max read Philosophy, Politics and Economics
at Oxford University, before going on to do a Masters in Philosophy at Kings College
London. He is a European Debating Championship Grand-Finalist, four-time
competition winner and Chief Adjudicator of the Oxford Schools Debating
Competition 2009/10. Created: Saturday, September 05, 2009 View Topic Affirmative
action (or positive discrimination) is the use of different standards for assessing
different groups of people, so as to help a group that has historically been at a
disadvantage (for example, African-Americans in the USA). In an education context,
the relevant type of affirmative action is that used for admission to universities. In
particular, universities may wish to use affirmative action to raise the presence of
poor students or students from ethnic minorities. Such discrimination is a controversial
issue, notably in the United States, although a 2003 Supreme Court decision ruled
that universities are allowed to use the practice. Debates may either be about
permitting universities to use positive discrimination (where it is currently illegal), or
file:///C|/Users/User/Desktop/Debatebase/Affirmative%20action%20in%20education.htm[3/31/2011 9:40:05 PM]
Affirmative action in education: Debatabase - Debate Topics and Debate Motions
about the state requiring them to do so. The mechanism could be one of two types:
either using quotas to determine the outcome of the admissions process (e.g.
requiring universities to admit a certain percentage of students from minority groups,
deprived areas, or non-private schools), or by using different admissions criteria that
take race, poverty or school-background into account.
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