ASCL response to IFS report on educational inequalities

Commenting on research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies on educational inequalities, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“This IFS research reflects the fact that we remain a deeply-divided, class-ridden society with a depressingly close alignment between family income and educational attainment, such that it is in fact a vicious circle which contributes to generational disadvantage.

“To break out of this circle we cannot just keep doing more of the same. Government policy is in a rut of meaningless targets, empty rhetoric and pitiful levels of funding. The attainment gap between disadvantaged and other children starts early in their lives and widens as they grow older.

“We need to see investment in early years education, better support for schools which face the greatest challenges, funding for schools and post-16 education which matches the level of need, and a rethink of qualifications and curriculum so that they work well for all learners. The government must also tackle the scourge of child poverty.

“The stark reality is that the disadvantage gap will never close at the current rate of progress.”