Industry News
Education 'widening the rich/poor gap'
Posted on 28th November 2007
The gap between wealthy and poorer school children widens as they progress through their education, an opposition politician has warned.
Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove has expressed concern that the British education system is failing to promote social mobility.
"We should be closing the gap between the poorest and the rest in our schools, but it is widening, with those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds achieving less, and dropping out earlier," he urged.
Yesterday, it emerged that independent school pupils are achieving a greater proportion of places at top universities than their state-educated peers.
A survey by the Independent Schools Council showed that among its member schools, the acceptance rate of pupils into the Russell Group of universities rose to 65.6 per cent, compared to 62.5 per cent last year.
It attributed this rise to an increase in the number of pupils achieving top grades at A-level.
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