Latest news with #underachievement
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Britain's white working-class should not indulge in racial victimhood
With Labour Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson declaring that it is a national disgrace that white working-class children in Britain are being 'written off' by society, how do we get to the bottom of the underachievement which characterises this cohort? What must be resisted is indulging in racial victimhood. Many of the barriers to white-British working-class achievement in the education system are social and cultural. Within more traditional-minded ethnic minorities, families are more likely to be intact and have a strong educational ethos (this is certainly true for many of Britain's high-performing Indian, Chinese, and Nigerian communities). Civic associations within such communities continue to flourish, with places of spirituality and worship providing an uplifting sense of belonging. Intergenerational connectedness is key to young people's personal development. Growing up in my Bedfordshire hometown of Luton, whether it was at the local newsagents or the Asian greengrocers, my community 'elders' would take an interest in how I was performing at school, college, and university (and now in my professional life). Not only does this make a young person feel valued, it provides a healthy pressure where one does not want to disappoint one's own parents, but also wishes to avoid potential embarrassment in the wider local community. Personal pride and family honour are important in this context. Sadly, these social structures and cultural dynamics are virtually non-existent in many left-behind communities in Britain. There are several practical interventions which can be made – but change will not take place overnight. England remains one of the most inter-regionally imbalanced nations in the industrialised world. Regional economics and underinvestment in deindustrialised towns is a problem that needs to be fixed. Building up a local stock of high-quality teachers and maintaining them in impoverished areas will remain a major challenge, unless there is a genuine 'levelling up' of the country. This needs to be complemented with ensuring the value of vocational training and apprenticeship options which should act as springboards to higher education. The building of positive relationships between schools and families – especially in cases where parents had personally negative experiences with the education system and have a lack of confidence in it – is vital. There is also no harm in having a national curriculum which highlights England's anti-racist, working-class traditions – whether it was the 1862 Manchester revolt (where mill workers refused to work with American cotton in solidarity with the US's black slaves) or the 1943 Battle of Bamber Bridge (which saw pub landlords resist the effort of American commanders to introduce a 'colour bar' in the Lancastrian village). Surely this would be more beneficial to teach in cities such as Salford and towns like Blackpool, instead of the pseudo-intellectual theories of 'white privilege' which spread like wildfire during the era of BLM-mania? White working-class underachievement in the English education system is driven by a myriad of factors – economic, social, and cultural. It is crucial that this issue does not descend into the politics of grievance – more than ever, serious policies are needed to enable and empower young people to fulfil their potential.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
White working class pupils' low achievement is a 'national disgrace', says Bridget Phillipson
White working class pupils' underachievement in exams due to being 'written off' is a 'national disgrace', Bridget Phillipson has said. The Education Secretary said too many youngsters in this group fail to get the help they need to succeed at school. Speaking ahead of A-level results day this Thursday, Mrs Phillipson said tackling this 'thorny' issue will be her 'priority' in the coming year. The Government will set out its plans for the challenge in a schools white paper in the autumn, she added. Last year, only 18.6 per cent of low-income white British pupils achieved at least a grade 5 –considered a 'strong pass' – in their English and maths GCSEs. This compares with 45.9 per cent of all state school pupils in England. Mrs Phillipson said: 'They're not well positioned to carry on with studies, to get an apprenticeship, to go on to university. '(It) is a national disgrace that so many young people are written off and don't get what they need to achieve and thrive.' White working class pupils – especially boys – are among the lowest-performing groups in the country. Previous research has blamed a lack of aspiration in communities experiencing high unemployment and scant resources. Mrs Phillipson told PA Media: 'Far too many young people, particularly white working-class British students, don't get the exam results that they need at GCSE or A-level to allow them to continue onto university. 'My big priority for this year will be how we focus on the really stark picture that we see around attainment and outcomes for children from white working-class backgrounds in places like Sunderland. 'The focus will be how we tackle some of those really thorny and generational challenges – like the gaps that we see around white working-class children and their attainment. 'That's why the schools white paper will have a focus on how we turn that around.' When asked if the Government is considering bringing back maintenance grants for poorer students, she said: 'We're looking at all of the options.' And she added that universities have responsibilities 'to make sure students from less well-off backgrounds are given the support that they need'. 'There's still a big challenge there in terms of some of the unacceptably high dropout rates that we see for some students,' she said. It came as Ucas chief Jo Saxton revealed there had been an increase in youngsters applying for university a year late – aged 19 – due to money issues. She said: 'I don't think it's the gap year in the sort of traditional Sloaney sense. '(The) number one concern that we hear from students concerned about the cost of living and they want to work for a bit and raise some funds before they go to study.'
