Private school parents claim their children are being edged out by 'social engineering' as Oxford and Cambridge take in more state pupils Anthony Wallersteiner said parents fear positive discrimination is taking place Head of Stowe, Buckinghamshire, blamed new access and participation plans The Jewish decent also linked criticism of private schools to antisemitic abuseBy James Gant For Mailonline Published: 09:19 BST, 11 May 2019 | Updated: 09:19 BST, 11 May 2019 Viewcomments Privately educated children are being edged out of places at Oxford and Cambridge by 'social engineering' as the universities drive to take on more state pupils, parents claim. Anthony Wallersteiner, head of Stowe School, Buckinghamshire, said the plans to improve opportunities for underrepresented groups caused a fall in Oxbridge places for private school pupils. He said these children's parents are arguing it is social engineering and positive discrimination. Private school parents have claimed their children are being phased out of Oxford and Cambridge (pictured) by 'social engineering' Anthony Wallersteiner, head of Stowe School, Buckinghamshire, said parents have raised concerns of positive discrimination Dr Wallersteiner told the Times: 'There's a much more concerted effort by admissions tutors to drive down the number of places given to independent schools and redress the balance and to put in contextual details.' Barnaby Lenon, who was the headteacher at Harrow, north London, until 2011, and is currently chairman of the Independent Schools Council, added: 'Independent schools report that their marginal candidates no longer tend to get in to Cambridge but their good candidates are as successful as ever.' He said it should not be assumed a child is from a wealthy background based on what school they went to. Dr Wallersteiner's comments mark the first time a leading headteacher has revealed parents' concerns. Dr Wallersteiner (pictured) claimed drive to increase state school educated places at Oxbridge had caused a fall in places for private school pupils Dr Wallersteiner, who is of Jewish decent, also claimed criticism of private schools and the elite was similar to antisemitism. He said: 'The rise of populists and polemicists has created a micro-industry in bashing private schools.' He added: 'It was relatively easy for Hitler and his henchmen to suggest that the Jewish minority was over-represented in key professions: medicine, law, teaching and the creative industries. 'Privately educated pupils in the UK are also being accused of dominating the top jobs and stifling social mobility... it is all too facile to stereotype groups and ignore the fact that lawyers, doctors, writers and politicians are individuals.' Dr Wallersteiner's comments mark the first time a leading headteacher has revealed parents' concerns . He is head at Stowe, a co-educational boarding school in Buckinghamshire (pictured) When assessing candidates, universities look into a person's background - including what school they went to, their gender and ethnicity. Oxford and Cambridge have accepted fewer privately educated British pupils over the past few years following a drive by the government to promote state education. Cambridge saw a rise in British state-educated pupils between 2013 and 2017, up from 61.4 per cent to 64.1 per cent, with Oxford seeing numbers rise from 56.8 per cent to 58.2 per cent. A Cambridge University spokesman said the university was 'committed to playing its part in facilitating social mobility'. And an Oxford University spokesman added: 'We are committed to broadening participation in higher education and building an inclusive, vibrant Oxford.' Read more: Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility