YES

Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister

AS LAST week’s report from the independent Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission shows, here in Britain, your parents’ income still remains the biggest indicator of what you’ll then go on to achieve – more than your talent, more than your potential, and more than in most other countries in Europe.

Some claim this is just a fact of life.

They argue that any chance for social mobility in this country ended when the final bell rang for grammar schools, and disparage any efforts to break the link between disadvantage and achievement as social engineering at its worst.

Others believe attainment is biologically predetermined – the future genetically carved in stone before a child even steps near a classroom.

I cannot accept either view.

In politics, and in this coalition, what motivates me – more than any other issue – is increasing social mobility: building a fairer society, where everyone can succeed, irrespective of the circumstances of their birth.

So, when we came into Government, in education, we prioritised three things: first, ending micromanagement of our schools. For too long, previous administrations responded to every problem in our education system with a new target from central government – frustrating our teachers and stifling the creativity needed to drive excellence across the board.

Second, we wanted to use the muscle of the state to level the playing field so that all children can flourish – not just the well-off. That’s what our £2.5bn pupil premium is for – additional money to help close the gap, which we are beginning to see having an effect.

And, third, we wanted to make sure that the state is intervening where it can make the biggest difference - when children are young.

Access to high-quality early years education helps give children the best possible start in life.

That’s why I have made the early years a personal priority: we have increased the hours available for three- and four-year-olds and extended it to two-year-olds in families which are most feeling the squeeze.

Last month, I announced free school meals for all children in infant school, and, one of the first things David Laws did when he became Schools Minister was insist that we rebalanced the pupil premium so that more of the money goes to children when they are in primary school, to help them catch up before they fall too far behind.

So, freedom for schools, a level playing field for all children: and more support for children in their earliest years. It’s an approach that seeks to drive diversity and autonomy within the schools system, but with the guarantee of opportunities for all. So freedom, yes, but with fairness too. For liberals, it is essential we provide both.

 

NO

Gawain Little
Teacher and NUT officer


SOCIAL inequality is the greatest determinant of educational outcomes in Britain. Put simply, what your parents earn has a greater effect on how you do within our education system than any other factor. For our young people, this affects their future earnings, life chances and even their likelihood of ending up in prison.
The most worrying thing is that, in 21st century Britain, under the current Government, things are getting worse.
It has been long acknowledged that the most effective way to increase social mobility is to tackle child poverty, levelling the playing field so every child has a chance to succeed.
From 1998/99 to 2011/12, child poverty was steadily reduced and 1.1 million children were lifted out of poverty. However, under current Government policy, child poverty is set to rise from 2012/13, reaching an estimated 4.7m children living in poverty by 2020.
This increase can be directly attributed to coalition policies such as workfare, cutting child benefit and the bedroom tax.
In light of this, initiatives such as the pupil premium represent a mere drop in the ocean as children turn up to school hungry and not ready to learn.
Education has long been an opportunity to counter the effects of economic deprivation. Those education systems which provide best for economically disadvantaged children are those which offer the same opportunities to all.
The more market policies such as choice and competition are introduced into an education system, the more opportunity there is for those with money to turn this to their advantage.
This Government’s education reforms have consistently increased inequality within the system.
But of course the key to tackling the devastating effects of economic disadvantage begins long before school.
It is the support which is given to families at the very beginning of a child's life which has the greatest impact on their future and that is why the previous Government invested so much money in provision for the fives and under, including children's centres. These are the very same children's centres which are now facing closure across Oxfordshire due to cuts made by the coalition Government.
If this is personal priority for the Deputy Prime Minister, why are these vital centres being cut?
Ultimately, the contribution to social mobility from the Liberal Democrats in government is increasing child poverty, increased inequality in schools and the closure of the very children's centres which were supposed to ensure every child the very best start in life.
Nick Clegg may have done very well by those who, like him, were born to privilege and an exclusive education paid for by their parents. For the rest of us he has done worse than nothing.