Bridget Philipson, the education secretary, says that she is determined to close the attainment gap as teenagers wait for A-level results.
As students brace themselves for this week’s A-level results, the education secretary, Bridget Philipson, had warned students of “massive” inequality in England’s education system.
Philipson claimed that educational inequities were “baked in” after 14 years of conservative government rule, citing regional differences between private and public school students.
Thousands of 18-year-olds in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will receive their results on Thursday, which, for many, will determine their admission to the university of their choice.
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According to Experts, the north-south attainment gap in England is likely to persist, and privately educated children will likely continue to perform better than their colleagues in public schools.
Philipson did not exclude restoring the maintenance stipend for lower-class students, which the Conservatives had eliminated in 2016, amid worries that some of these students are being prevented from progressing into higher school due to financial concerns.
Although she acknowledged that it would be “enormous” to undo the legacy of the educational inequality left by the previous administration, she promised reform of the system that would reduce the number of children living in poverty and improve support for schools.
The education secretary told the media, “I want to make sure that all young people, whatever their background, have the chance to get on in life, and that’s the mission of the Labour government.
“But my concern, as we approach the first of the results days, is that after 14 years the Conservatives have baked in massive inequality into the education system, including regional disparities and differences between outcomes for children at state and private schools, and I’m determined to turn that around.”
The percentage of students in south-east England who received A*A grades last year was 8% points higher than the five-point difference in the north east-east in 2019. Additionally, students attending private schools were more than twice as likely to receive top grades as those attending state schools.
Philipson emphasized the need for quality teaching. She stated, “But it’s also what goes on beyond the school gates, and that’s where we’ve also seen big failures over the last 14 years.” “And it will take us time to get that right, but I am determined that we bring down the number of children living in poverty.
“It’s a moral cause, but it’s also a big driver of some of these disparities that we see and it’s why we need to take action to support schools. This is an enormous task and I don’t shy away from that for one second.”
A week before the results day, Philipson stated that although the university was “a fantastic option, many people still did not think it was the right choice for them. Thousands of undergraduate spots were still empty. In addition to ensuring that access is expanded, “I want to work with universities to ensure that we are widening access, but also we’re making sure that young people have the support that they need to complete their courses.”
In response to a question about whether she would reinstate maintenance grants, she stated, “I’m acutely aware of the pressures that many students are under at the moment, and it concerns me that, when I visit universities and meet with students, I hear that they’re working 30 hours a week in retail jobs in order to meet the cost of housing and other costs.
“I am determined that we reform the system. You’ll appreciate, a month in, we’re looking at how we can make that change happen. But I don’t want young people to be put off applying to university on the basis of financial imperative and sadly I think increasingly we’re seeing young people making decisions based on their finances and that’s a really big challenge.”
Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of Schools and Colleges Leaders union, stated, “It is clear that there is a broad north-south divide in educational outcomes and that this is linked to varying levels of prosperity and disadvantage.
“There must also be a concerted national strategy to lift children out of poverty as this has a material impact on their readiness and capacity to learn.”
Also, a headteacher’s union has demanded that the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) be eliminated following the release of a new analysis that indicates a sharp decline in A-level admission in technology and creative arts courses since the program’s launch in 2011.
The Ebacc consists of core academic subjects and is used as a school accountability measure. According to the Association of Schools and College Leaders, since the introduction of the program, drama entries have declined by 43%, music and design and technology entries by 45%, and performing arts entries by 73%. Recent Ofqual data revealed a continued downward trend.
