A TEENAGER from a state grammar school who was rejected by Oxford University despite predictions that he would obtain five A-grades has won a £100,000 scholarship to study at Harvard.

Mark Parker, 18, was turned down by Oxford after being interviewed in December for a place to study maths. So far he has scored 100% in five out of 10 maths modules and in one of his Harvard assessment tests.

David Clough, deputy headmaster of Ermysted’s, Parker’s school in North Yorkshire, said: “We kept stating Mark was an exceptional pupil. We had a pupil last year who gained 100% in 14 of their 15 A-level modules but Oxford turned them away too.”

Oxford’s decision to reject Parker, who is studying for A-levels in maths, further maths, chemistry, Latin and general studies, will fuel the row about whether universities are choosing the right students. In 2000 the rejection of the state school pupil Laura Spence set off a political storm. Only 53% of students admitted to Oxford are from the state sector.

Barry Sheerman, Labour chairman of the Commons schools select committee, called for an end to the system by which degree places are offered: “The problem with our universities is that they assess on predicted A-grades and interviews. American universities put students through five different tests.”

Parker’s rejection comes amid complaints in China about the “very poor quality” of some degrees taken by Chinese students in Britain. The problem will be highlighted at a meeting in Paris next month organised by a branch of the UN.

David Zweig, director of the centre on China’s international relations at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, who wrote the paper, said: “Finding employment has become increasingly difficult as many returnees have an MA from very poor universities in England.” He said Chinese officials had asked him to “kick the Brits” over the issue.

A Whitehall source confirmed China had raised concerns that some UK universities are awarding degrees taught at further education colleges. About 50,000 Chinese study in this country and are a valuable source of income.

Bill Rammell, the universities minister, said: “UK higher education is internationally renowned for high quality, high graduate employability and high student satisfaction.”

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