White working-class children failed by education system, says inquiry

Image source, Getty Images By Vanessa Clarke , Education reporter  and  Kate McGough , Education reporter Published 8 minutes ago Once-in-a-generation reforms are needed to fix an education system that "is not serving the interests of white working-class children", an independent inquiry has concluded. It was set up last summer to look into why such children are the lowest-performing large demographic in the school system in England. Inquiry co-chair Baroness Estelle Morris said responsibility "cannot sit with schools alone" and was not due to a lack of aspiration or effort from young people. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said generations had been "robbed of opportunity". "The communities in this report are my communities. I know what they've given this country and what this country has failed to give back," she said. The Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes , external was commissioned by the multi-academy trust Star Academies and is supported by the Department for Education. It spoke to thousands of young people and their parents as well as hundreds of teachers. Education data about white working class pupils was also analysed as part of the year-long review, looking at the 1.25 million young people in England who are white British and in receipt of free school meals. The inquiry found a growing belief among white working-class families that the current education system does not guarantee future success. Baroness Morris, who was education secretary under Tony Blair's Labour government from 2001 to 2002, said none of the initiatives rolled out in the past 30 years had significantly or sustainably boosted the performance of white working-class children in school. There was a disconnect between what the children and their parents want in terms of careers and what their schools can offer them, she said. While the system often emphasises academic progression to higher education, the inquiry said many families place greater importance on the social experience of school and wanted to see more high-quality vocational options like apprenticeships in their local area. The inquiry is calling for sweeping changes, from more support in the early years to improved mental health support and restrictions on smartphone use in schools. It makes 24 recommendations, including: Free access to local public transport for all young people up to the age of 21, improving access to education, training and work Extending 30 hours of free childcare to all disadvantaged families, not just those in work Making reading fluency at primary school a national priority for white working class children A major expansion of apprenticeships, so that all young people who want one can access a high-quality apprenticeship local to them The inquiry said the move to secondary education was a key moment where students can start to disengage with school. That was the case for Stephen, who is 16 now but left school three years ago and spent the next t