Is Britain a meritocracy? Simon Woolley left school without any A-levels, but after a life of campaigning for equality is now the head of a Cambridge college.
The Lord who grew up on a council estate
Community champion: Race and equalities activist Simon Woolley, founder of the campaigning organisation Operation Black Vote (OBV), received a knighthood in the late Queen’s 2019 birthday honours list. Comprehension quiz
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What is meant by the word “rife”?
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Which word is the closest synonym for “resilient”?
A: Weak
B: Flexible
C: Dependent
D: Quick to recover
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In which city did Simon Woolley grow up?
A: London
B: Cambridge
C: Leicester
D: Manchester
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What did Simon Woolley’s “mantra” become after his travels in Costa Rica and Colombia?
A: “I’m not going to get kidnapped, I’m not going to get shot, what excuse do I have not to change the world?”
B: “Being academically brilliant is one thing, but it’s nothing unless you twin it with good character.”
C: “I was made in Leicester, on the St Matthew’s estate to be precise, in the 1960s when racism was rife.”
D: “It’s not where you start, it’s where you go – and more importantly, how you go.”
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Which two roles has Simon Woolley held that directly relate to his work on equality and race?
A: Head of the school council at his comprehensive school.
B: Co-founder of Operation Black Vote.
C: Principal of Homerton College, Cambridge.
D: Head of the UK’s new Race Disparity Unit.
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Simon Woolley’s story is used to suggest that people can overcome a difficult start in life to achieve great success. What is your own view on the idea of a “meritocracy” (a society where people are successful based on their ability, not their background)? Do you think one person’s story is enough to prove or disprove this idea for an entire country?
Answers
Tap to reveal
1: Widespread, common, 2: D, 3: C, 4: A, 5: B and D. 6: Your view!
1: Widespread, common, 2: D, 3: C, 4: A, 5: B and D. 6: Your view!
Glossary
Honorary Doctorate - An academic degree granted by a university to recognise someone's outstanding contributions to society, arts, or a specific field, without them having studied at the university.
Skinheads - Young people, usually male, of a subculture characterised by close-cropped hair and heavy boots, often very aggressive and racist.
Learning Curve - The rate of a person's progress in gaining experience or new skills.
Mantra - A phrase that is often repeated, like a motto. The word comes from a Sanskrit term referring to a sacred utterance.
Constitutional - Relating to the constitution, a document that sets out the fundamental rules according to which a country is governed, which are usually difficult to change.
Bill of Rights - A list of a country's citizens' basic rights and freedoms that are protected by law, such as those in the US Constitution.
Proportional representation - A voting system in which the winning party gets a proportion of parliamentary seats equal to its proportion of the vote.