White working-class kids ‘failed by education system’

The survey found a growing belief among white working-class families that the current education system does not guarantee future success.

Baroness Morris, who was education secretary in Tony Blair’s Labor government from 2001 to 2002, says that none of the initiatives of the past 30 years have significantly or sustainably raised the performance of white working class people in schools.

There is a disconnect between what the children and their parents want in terms of careers and what their schools are offering them, she said.

While the system often emphasizes academic progress toward higher education, the inquiry says many families value the social experience of school and want to see high-quality career options, such as internships, in their communities.

The demand calls for major changes in the early years, from more support to improved mental health support and smartphone use in schools.

It offers 24 recommendations including:

The question is that the transition to secondary school is a key time when students begin to leave school.

This was the case with 16-year-old Stephen, but he dropped out of school three years ago and spent the next three years out of school.

If the system had been more professional, he said, he might have stayed on.

“I feel like schools need to be more hands-on because writing, at least for me, wasn’t working,” he said.

“So if you get more hands-on, that really helps people who can’t finish school because it helps them learn the right skills that are useful to them.”

Earlier this year he launched a four-week course in Preston, run by the charity Spar, which helps young people get back into work or education and then mentors them for six months.

With their support, he is pursuing his dream of becoming a hairdresser and will start college in September.