Next government must act on social mobility says charity
A general election has been called for 4 July, and once manifestos are published Greensheets will have news of the proposed education policies of the major parties. In the meantime, social mobility charity the Sutton Trust is calling on whoever forms the next government to prioritise action to close the ‘disadvantage gap’, and have made a series of recommendations in a new report Fair opportunity for all.
The report draws on polling of more than 2000 adults carried out for the Sutton Trust by More in Common is February this year. According to this polling there is strong public support across the political spectrum for the idea that all young people should have equal opportunities, regardless of background. 9 in 10 agree this is important, and the same proportion say it is important to ‘level the playing field’ and improve social mobility in the UK. A significant majority of those surveyed believe it is the role of government to ensure fair access to educational opportunities (81 per cent) and job opportunities (69 per cent). When asked why, the most commonly chosen reason (79 per cent) was ‘to make the most of everyone’s talents to help the economy grow’.
To this end the Sutton Trust calls in the report for the next government to re-balance school funding back towards those schools serving the most disadvantaged communities. This would be done through reform of the National Funding Formula and increasing Pupil Premium (PP). They also suggest access to high performing schools should be widened, via requiring schools to prioritise pupils eligible for PP in their oversubscription criteria. PP should also be extended to 16-19 education, and the trust would like to see the eligibility for free schools meals (FSM) extended to all families who receive universal credit (UC). The income cap for FSM eligibility has been frozen in cash terms since 2018/19, meaning many pupils in England whose families are entitled to UC are not eligible.
At the early years level, the charity would like to see the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) increased to match PP levels in primary schools, and for there to be investment in the early years workforce through a dedicated ‘Leadership Quality Fund’. There should also be a new national strategy for children’s centres with a rollout of new centres in deprived areas, the report says. More broadly, the charity says it will be important for the next government to conduct a review of artificial intelligence (AI) and its use in education. The purpose of the review should focus on how new technologies such as AI can be used to narrow attainment gaps rather than widen them, it adds. They would also like to see investment in wider support services for young people, such as mental health support, to relieve some the burden on education settings.
Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust, said: ‘For too long, successive governments have failed to increase opportunities for low and moderate income young people. As a result, there is a yawning gap in attainment between the well-off and their less affluent peers, which is the main reason we have low and declining social mobility in this country. The public clearly wants this to change and the next government needs to get on board and make it happen. Otherwise, the gap between the haves and the have-nots will continue to widen, wasting the talent of so many young people and threatening the country’s future prosperity.’
Nick Brook, CEO of Speakers for Schools, commented: ‘Investment in education is the surest path to improved social mobility and a happier, healthier and wealthier nation. Until education is seen as an investment in this country’s future rather than a drain on Treasury coffers, we stand little chance of shifting the dial far in improving the life chances of young people.’
Full report: https://tinyurl.com/nfpapje8