19 October 2007
It is unrealistic to expect schools alone to transform the life chances of disadvantaged children, teaching leaders said this week.
Launching the Ofsted annual report on October 17, chief inspector Christine Gilbert said more needed to be done to help the most vulnerable children, particularly those in care.
'The gap between the outcomes for those with advantages in life and those with the least is not reducing quickly enough,' she said. 'Only 12% of 16-year-olds in public care achieved five or more good GCSEs in 2006 compared with 59% of all 16-year-olds. This cannot be right and we need to do more.'
Overall, 10% of secondary schools were judged to be 'inadequate'. Ofsted's analysis revealed some stark connections between poverty and educational underachievement.
Young people living in deprived areas do worse in exams and are less likely to go to university. Children eligible for free school meals have a higher chance of being unemployed as adults.
Teaching unions applauded the intentions but said responsibility could not be placed on schools and teachers to deliver.
Martin Johnson, deputy general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said schools could not compensate for a child's family background or a local culture of unemployment.
'While we strongly support the government's determination to tackle disadvantage… we totally reject any attempt to put all the onus on teachers to solve these problems,' he said.
And National Union of Teachers general secretary Steve Sinnott called for social disadvantage to be tackled with adequate financing.
PFoct2007
