White working-class children failed by education system, says inquiry
BBC News 2026-06-29 00:21:50
Context: An independent inquiry has found that the education system in England is failing white working-class children, who are the lowest-performing large demographic in the school system. The inquiry, commissioned by the multi-academy trust Star Academies and supported by the Department for Education, called for once-in-a-generation reforms to address the issue. The inquiry's co-chair, Baroness Estelle Morris, emphasized that responsibility for the problem cannot lie with schools alone.
Key Facts
- The Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes found that white working-class children in England, who number around 1.25 million and are defined as white British and in receipt of free school meals, are not being served by the current education system.
- The inquiry, which spoke to thousands of young people and their parents as well as hundreds of teachers, and analyzed education data, concluded that none of the initiatives rolled out in the past 30 years have significantly or sustainably boosted the performance of white working-class children in school.
- Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson stated that generations have been "robbed of opportunity" and that the report lays bare the scale of the challenge, but added that the government will fight for white working-class children.
- The inquiry is calling for sweeping changes, including free access to local public transport for all young people up to the age of 21, extending 30 hours of free childcare to all disadvantaged families, making reading fluency at primary school a national priority, and a major expansion of apprenticeships.
- The inquiry found that many white working-class families place greater importance on the social experience of school and want to see more high-quality vocational options like apprenticeships in their local area, rather than emphasizing academic progression to higher education.