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| Education 'fails poorer children' | Education 'fails poorer children' |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A cross-party commission should be set up to examine the reasons behind the UK's very low social mobility, an education charity says. | |
| The Sutton Trust says the government's education policy has failed to give poorer children the chance to improve quality of life. | |
| Its founder Sir Peter Lampl says the problem "goes beyond party politics". | |
| Tory leader David Cameron backed the call for a commission, saying there was "a problem of fairness" in the UK. | |
| Sir Peter said: "Both Gordon Brown and David Cameron have acknowledged the seriousness of this issue, but our low level of social mobility is a problem that goes beyond party politics. | |
| Escaping poverty | |
| "It is a national issue which requires a national solution. We urgently need an independent cross-party commission to examine why our record is so poor and how we can address this." | |
| The study found that children born in the 1950s had a better chance of escaping poverty than those born in 1970. | |
| What we've moved towards is a socially selective system Sir Peter LamplSutton Trust | |
| The decline in social mobility seen during the 1970s and 1980s has now flattened off, the report concludes, but shows no sign of reversing. | |
| The UK comes bottom of the table of developed countries for which there is data available, it adds. | |
| The report coincides with a series on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Humphreys on Class, looking at issues surrounding the divide between the rich and poor in Britain. | |
| Greater opportunities | Greater opportunities |
| The research was carried out on behalf of the Sutton Trust by the London School of Economics (LSE). | The research was carried out on behalf of the Sutton Trust by the London School of Economics (LSE). |
| If people aren't achieving according to their talents, according to their potential, it's a huge waste for them, it's a huge waste for society, but it's also deeply unfair David Cameron | |
| Professor Steve Machin, from LSE, said: "We had a very big expansion of the higher education system in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but contrary to many people's expectations this actually reinforced social immobility." | Professor Steve Machin, from LSE, said: "We had a very big expansion of the higher education system in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but contrary to many people's expectations this actually reinforced social immobility." |
| He said people at the bottom of the "income distribution" were ill-equipped to take advantage of the greater opportunities. | He said people at the bottom of the "income distribution" were ill-equipped to take advantage of the greater opportunities. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Cameron said: "To me it's a problem of fairness, because if people aren't achieving according to their talents, according to their potential, it's a huge waste for them, it's a huge waste for society, but it's also deeply unfair." | Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Cameron said: "To me it's a problem of fairness, because if people aren't achieving according to their talents, according to their potential, it's a huge waste for them, it's a huge waste for society, but it's also deeply unfair." |
| He said the "absolute driver of social mobility" was education and recommended the building of more schools, including city academies. | He said the "absolute driver of social mobility" was education and recommended the building of more schools, including city academies. |
| "We have got to get more good school places otherwise all we're doing is trying to find a different way of dividing up the cake," Mr Cameron said. | "We have got to get more good school places otherwise all we're doing is trying to find a different way of dividing up the cake," Mr Cameron said. |
| 'Socially selective' | 'Socially selective' |
| Sir Peter Lampl said inequality between the rich and poor in Britain was a root cause of the problem. | Sir Peter Lampl said inequality between the rich and poor in Britain was a root cause of the problem. |
| "There's further to go if you want to be mobile and those at the top end are able to invest more in education so they gain advantages," he said. | |
| "What we've moved towards is a socially selective system. | "What we've moved towards is a socially selective system. |
| "We have the lowest social mobility of any country you can measure." | |
| The Sutton Trust says better provision of early years education is needed to prevent children falling behind by the age of three. | The Sutton Trust says better provision of early years education is needed to prevent children falling behind by the age of three. |
| It also wants to "democratise selection" at independent schools, deciding access by lottery and funding places for poorer children who cannot afford the fees. | It also wants to "democratise selection" at independent schools, deciding access by lottery and funding places for poorer children who cannot afford the fees. |