Education news: Society must now act to help white working-class pupils, inquiry declares

Society must now act to help white working-class pupils, inquiry declares Lucy Powell said 'too many white working-class children are falling behind at every stage of their education' Sign up to the News Newsletter I agree to receive updates and information about my account, the GB News Community, and related products and services from GB News. Email address Sign up By signing up you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and Community Rules.

Thank you for signing up! See the latest from GB News here . Choose GB News on Google - add us as a preferred source Choose GB News Support GB News Champion free speech and independent journalism while unlocking exclusive benefits. Support us Society must act to improve the educational outcomes of white working-class pupils, the co-chairwoman of an inquiry has said. The Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes revealed in June that the group suffers some of the weakest outcomes across the country.

It has now launched its second phase, combining research work with education organisations to implement recommendations, the inquiry said. Baroness Estelle Morris, who is a co-chairwoman of the inquiry, said the initial report highlighted the extent of the challenge white working-class children face in school. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say "We can't stop there," she said. "Our next phase of work will be led by experts in the field and will consider what needs to be done.

"This isn't just the responsibility of schools but calls for action from across society. "The partnerships we will bring together can play a powerful role in beginning this work." The inquiry will now look at how to give the 1.25 million white working-class pupils who are eligible for free school meals a stronger start to primary school. The inquiry will focus on giving white working-class Britons a stronger start to school | GETTY It will also examine their routes through education and into the world of work in an effort to tackle the surging number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neets).

Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she was supporting the inquiry, commissioned by multi-academy trust Star Academies. She said: "A child's background should never mean opportunity belongs to someone else. "But right now, too many white working-class children are falling behind at every stage of their education. LATEST EDUCATION NEWS: Apprentices dropping out of courses due to 'box-ticking' and 'weak' management Labour apologises to young Ukrainian refugees after 'pushing' them to learn Russian White working-class kids being failed as new research shows number leaving without jobs or training Lucy Powell said the inquiry would 'get to the heart of the barriers holding children back' | PA "That is why I am backing this independent inquiry to get to the heart of the barriers holding children back – from their first steps into school, through to the opportunities and choices they have as teenagers into further study, training or work."

In June, the inquiry recommended a hike in the number of apprenticeships available for youngsters, free local public transport for under-21s, and backed a school smartphone ban. It detailed that some 36 per cent of its demographic achieved a Grade 4 - the pass mark - or more in English and Maths. Meanwhile, 72 per cent of children not on free school meals received the same score - double that of their white working-class counterparts. Sir Hamid Patel, the co-chairman of the probe, said it marked the "beginning of a sustained effort to improve outcomes for white working class young people".

He said: "We will undertake further large-scale research into the parts of the system where we need to understand more, while building a national network of organisations committed not just to advocating for change, but to putting it into practice. "Our ambition is to turn evidence into action and action into lasting change. "The scale of that challenge is considerable, but we are determined to get started." Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter News Sadiq Khan spends £86,000 on 'tacky' benches for Oxford Street revamp as taxpayers pick up tab News Deportation crisis as 20,000 foreign offenders remain free in UK despite removal orders Exclusive News China caught supplying Britain with hijabs for illegal migrants and 'profiting' off crisis News Woman dies at Tesco as air ambulance rushes to supermarket and shoppers evacuated News National Lottery branded 'scandalous' for funding organisation promoting puberty blockers guide News Chessington World of Adventures evacuated as emergency services rush in after reports of a threat News Pensioner, 87, breaks record for oldest person to climb mount Snowdon... but cannot get back down News More than 10,000 veterans join King and PM at Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday to pay tribute to Britain's fallen heroes News Foreign criminals sneak back into Britain after deportation at RECORD rate, new figures show News Hundreds march against Labour's plans to house over 1,250 male asylum seekers near historic market town News Christmas market sparks fury as visitors slam 'rip-off' prices News Pro-Palestine activists accused of intimidating cancer patients by handing out leaflets at NHS hospitals News Outrage as Civil Service calendar fails to mark Remembrance Sunday but celebrates trans day News Tiktok terrorist who prayed for British soldiers to be slaughtered is being housed in £300,000 three-bed council flat in north London News LGBT migrant charity handed nearly £1m in Lottery funding despite claiming British state kills asylum seekers News British heroes face being booted out of veteran accommodation just before Remembrance Day News Two teenagers arrested over sword attack near Catholic school News British-born godfather of artificial intelligence issues chilling warning: 'Humanity is on the line!'

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