7/4/2008 6:36:00 AM
The Guardian 4 July
A government minister yesterday criticised a medical school for withdrawing an offer to an A-grade student from one of the poorest areas of the country because of a burglary conviction. Bill Rammell, minister at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said universities should be open to applicants such as Majid Ahmed. The Guardian revealed this week that Ahmed, 18, from Little Horton in Bradford, had his offer from Imperial College London withdrawn because he had been convicted of a minor burglary in 2005. He was given a four-month referral order for community service. His conviction is now spent and he has since moved schools, volunteered with disability charities and achieved four As at A-level. Rammell said: "Universities should be open to people like Ahmed, who has a spent conviction, but has put his life back together and done everything that society would ask of him in rebuilding and repairing his life and achieving an exemplary school performance." Rammell's department confirmed that it had spoken to Imperial about the case in March when Ahmed's MP, Terry Rooney, wrote to Rammell to complain about it. The schools secretary, Ed Balls, said he had also spoken to Rammell about the case.Guardian
FE/HE/ Skills
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