Widening Educational Gap Between Disadvantaged and Wealthier Pupils
The disparity in academic performance between pupils from affluent backgrounds and those from lower-income households has increased, according to a recent report.
Despite some progress since the Covid-19 pandemic, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) reported that the disadvantage gap in England has expanded once again and remains larger at every stage of schooling than it was prior to the pandemic.
The report highlighted that the difference is "particularly stark" in early education.
The Department for Education stated it is committed to closing the disadvantage gap by providing opportunities for all children, including expanding government-funded childcare and extending eligibility for free school meals.
The government had previously set a target to halve the disadvantage gap by the time the current generation of children complete secondary school.
For its analysis of disadvantage, the EPI examined educational outcomes of children who had ever been eligible for free school meals compared to those who had not. The data was also categorized by gender, ethnicity, and whether children had special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The EPI found that the overall academic achievement gap between low-income students and their wealthier peers is now 17% greater for children in early years than before Covid.
Although some school stage gaps began to narrow post-pandemic, the report noted they are widening again in early years and at Key Stage 4, when pupils take their GCSEs.
Disadvantaged pupils were, on average, 19 months behind their better-off classmates by Key Stage 4, the report stated.
Regarding pupils with SEND, the EPI observed that attainment gaps have narrowed for older age groups but reached record high levels for children with education, health and care plans—the legal documents outlining additional support entitlement for some children with SEND.
The report also noted that disadvantaged pupils in London outperformed peers from similar backgrounds in all other regions, while the gap between affluent and disadvantaged pupils grew most in the South-East and South-West of England.
"Scourge on Our Society"
"The size of the gap between the educational outcomes of children from more and less advantaged backgrounds is a scourge on our society," said Julie McCulloch, chief executive of the EPI.
She added that the government's "ambitious target" to halve the gap is "right and welcome," but emphasized it must be "more exacting" in how to achieve it.
McCulloch also urged the incoming prime minister to maintain a "laser-like focus" on delivering that target.
The EPI recommended several measures to achieve this goal, including expanding access to free funded childcare for all children and increasing funding for schools based on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, criticized current school tests and assessments, stating they "set many students up to fail, overwhelmingly those from less advantaged backgrounds."
"Statutory testing in primary must be ended and assessment approaches in secondary must broaden beyond end-of-course exams to allow all students to achieve and thrive," Kebede said.
The Local Government Association called for increased investment in the SEND workforce and a review of eligibility criteria for funded childcare hours to ensure low-income children do not miss out.
Last week, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson delivered a speech advocating for a "bolder future" of "universal early years education" aimed at preventing disadvantaged children from missing out.
The Department for Education reiterated the government's commitment to doing "whatever it takes" to ensure every child has access to opportunity, irrespective of their background.
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