(UK, education) The idea that university places should be available to everybody who qualifies for them by ability and attainment.
(UK, education) The idea that university places should be available to everybody who qualifies for them by ability and attainment.
"Robbins principle" means: The idea that university places should be available to everybody who qualifies for them by ability and attainment.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"Robbins principle" means: The idea that university places should be available to everybody who qualifies for them by ability and attainment.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "Robbins principle".
The vocabulary of software engineers, AI researchers, and anyone living in a terminal or on GitHub — from LLM to MCP, CORS to vibe coding, agentic to enshittification.
See all Tech, Dev & AI slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with R.
(UK, education) An offer of a place at a particular university for a student, regardless of their performance in examinations, on the condition that they agree to choose that university over any other.
(UK, education) : a system for assessing the quality of research in higher-education institutions.
(British) Any traditional British university other than Oxford or Cambridge, especially one founded in the Victorian age in a large city.
(idiomatic) A fundamental rule or principle.
"Robbins principle" means: The idea that university places should be available to everybody who qualifies for them by ability and attainment.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (UK) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
No comments yet — say something.
(Canada, law) The principle that the government or department that first receives a request to pay for a service for a First Nations child must pay for the service and resolve jurisdictional issues only thereafter.