Michael Gove warned about the dangers of a widening education gap as new figures show the divide between rich and poor schools increased last year.
In schools where more than half of pupils are eligible for free school meals, the proportion of children achieving five good GCSEs including English and maths has decreased from 14 per cent to 13 per cent.
But at schools where less than one in ten pupils are eligible for free meals, the proportion achieving five good GCSEs including English and maths increased from 57 per cent to 58 per cent.
Michael, the Shadow Children’s Secretary, said, “Parents and children, particularly those from deprived backgrounds, are being let down by this block on opportunity.”
He stressed that our plans for state-funded independent schools, based on the successful Swedish model, could make a real difference to the life chances of children, particularly in the poorest areas.
And he also proposed making schools answerable to parents rather than bureaucrats, a measure that has worked in other countries in terms of improving education for all.
Find out more about our plans to close the education gap