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The real task is to tackle big disparities in wealth
Dr Ruth Lupton12 Aug 2009
London's Sats results reveal the enormity of the task that lies ahead for any government serious about tackling educational inequality, as both Conservatives and New Labour say they are.
Many people are surprised to learn that New Labour's record on this issue is actually pretty good. Among other things, they've increased the numbers of teachers and support staff, provided out-of-school hours support and family learning, smaller classes, and targeted individual support for pupils who are struggling.
Nationwide, gaps between the poorest and richest schools and between poor and rich children have slowly but steadily narrowed since 1997. The problem is that progress is far too slow. Yawning gaps remain. Surely it is time to recognise that bigger changes are needed.
Yes, current initiatives should be continued and extended. This year's social mobility White Paper also proposed new programmes to attract and retain the best teachers in the most challenging schools. But the Government needs to go further than that. Sats are part of the problem.
They narrow curriculum and fix failure in children who have started off behind. Private schools and school choice in the state sector are also to blame. If all our children were in socially mixed state schools, inequality would certainly fall.
There is a tough political decision to be made here between individual choice and social equality, one the Government has been avoiding.
But these results say more about London than they do about the education system. For all its wealth, London has the highest child poverty rate in the country, reflecting high unemployment, low pay at the bottom end of the labour market, and unaffordable housing and childcare. Ultimately, it is the disparities in wealth between Hackney and Richmond that lie behind today's Sats results, and tackling that needs to be at the top of any agenda for educational equality.
Dr Ruth Lupton is research fellow at the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics
