Author Archives: Brett Wigdortz

Brett Wigdortz

The Independent View: Educational disadvantage is one of the most unjust and pervasive problems

By Brett Wigdortz | Mon 7th November 2011 - 9:35 am

The link between family income and educational attainment is greater in the UK than in almost any other developed country. We must all be concerned with a situation where 96% of young people educated in independent schools progress to university, but only 16% of pupils eligible for free school meals make the same progression. This statistic should be hugely troubling to anyone who believes in a society of equal opportunities.

The evidence shows that even when children start school at age five on a reasonably even footing, those from disadvantaged backgrounds begin to diverge dramatically from their peers in terms of attainment.

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Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Tagged , and | 7 Comments
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