The results are in, and they will surprise almost no-one. The University of Edinburgh’s shocking slump to the foot of the UK feedback rankings is just the latest episode of an ongoing scandal that threatens the very reputation of one of the country’s finest educational institutions.

The National Student Survey (NSS) is not without its critics. Arguments that it might induce universities to “dumb down” in their eagerness to pander to student tastes are compelling. The intrusive measures used by Ipsos MORI to coerce undergraduates into participating in the poll—some students have received as many as twelve telephone calls—are disgraceful. And the incredible attempts by staff at Kingston University to intimidate their students into singing their praises have called the validity of the entire project into question.

But it would be a flimsy survey indeed that failed to reflect the very real anger of Edinburgh students on this subject. One of the most powerful weapons in the Oxbridge armoury is the “face time” offered by its unrivalled tutorial system. An Oxford humanities student can expect to benefit from the insights of an expert who will painstakingly dissect her work in a weekly one-on-one meeting. The best her Edinburgh counterpart can hope for is an encouraging paragraph scrawled in the blank space of a cover sheet. At worst, he might receive a functional “very good” from a tutor who cannot remember his name.

No-one expects Edinburgh academics, with their overcrowded classrooms and limited resources, to match the support offered by Oxbridge dons. Many work desperately hard, drawing on a genuine enthusiasm for teaching to deliver a phenomenal standard of education. But as the university scrabbles for cash to maintain its position at the international top table, the funds are being diverted elsewhere. Strong research investment has seen Edinburgh cement a position as one of the world’s leading research universities, securing generous government funding and lucrative business contracts. Meanwhile, staff are seeing ever stronger incentives to prioritise research over teaching. It would be a calamity if this new focus were to distract from the primary role of what is, lest we forget, a place of education.

Heriot-Watt, the only other Edinburgh institution to take part in the NSS, is typically found far below its ancient neighbour in academic league tables. Yet it could teach the older institution a lesson when it comes to student satisfaction. University of Edinburgh governors will point out that their students are bound to demand higher standards due to the world-leading reputation of the institution; that the survey will inevitably be skewed by the fact that the most disillusioned students, eager to sound off, are often keener to participate than their blissfully contented peers. Valid points, no doubt. But an institution can only fall consistently below expectations for so long, before those expectations come crashing down with it.