Maajid Nawaz Slams Entitled Caller Who Says Private Education Is "Not About The Money"

25 August 2019, 14:40 | Updated: 25 August 2019, 15:41

Maajid Nawaz labelled this caller "tone deaf" for saying he is "not wealthy" despite sending his son to a £30k-a-year school.

Sam told Maajid that getting into private schools is a matter of passing entrance exams, and not money, and suggesting pupils only get into them because of wealth is "not true" and "underplays their achievements".

But Maajid challenged his 'entitled' caller when he described paying £30,000 on his son's private education despite "not being wealthy".

"If you're paying £30,000 to send your child to school then you are wealthy compared to most people in this country," Maajid said.

"Because what's the average salary? If the average salary is under £30,000 and you're paying that just for your child's school fees, which is more than most people make in a year, then how can you describe yourself as not wealthy?" Maajid said.

But when Sam began to argue that he "works hard", Maajid exclaimed others work hard too: "I'm not saying you don't work hard, but so does the road sweep," he said.

"Do you think the road sweep doesn't work hard?" Maajid asked.

Sam said: "It may be to do with the fact these kids have made the effort to get into these schools and have worked hard."

Maajid replied: "You're completely tone deaf to the conversation, you think kids from state schools don't make effort?

"There is an implication in your tone is that the person on the minimum wage doesn't work hard, or the kid in state school doesn't work hard, and that's why I'm cautioning you against speaking in that way because it sounds tone deaf."

The row comes as the head teacher of a leading private school has hit out at Oxford and Cambridge universities for operating an "unofficial quota system" for pupils from state schools.

The headteacher for King's College School in Wimbledon, Andrew Halls, said universities had been turning away "brilliant" privately educated teenagers in favour of those from state schools.

Watch above.