James Forsyth James Forsyth

The state of education

A statistic in today’s Daily Mail reveals just how badly comprehensives are failing their pupils.

“They educate only seven per cent of pupils, but independent schools produce more teenagers with three A grade A-levels than all our comprehensives put together.

More than 10,000 pupils at fee-paying schools achieved three As last year. But among those at comprehensives, fewer than 7,500 achieved such good results.”

In his first speech to the Labour conference as party leader, Gordon Brown declared:

“the reason I am here – the real reason I am here – is that I want their children and their grandchildren whom I also represent to have all the chances that were not available to my school friends when we were growing up.”

But it is becoming increasingly clear that it is the state education system—that he and his Schools Secretary will not properly reform—that is playing a huge role in failing to unlock, to borrow another phrase from his speech, the talents of this country’s children. This is having a dire effect both on social mobility and this country’s economic prospects.

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