Inequality and education

( I went to a good secondary school; the government paid my fees )

I am therefore curious to read present-day BBC reports of how,

Sir Michael Wilshaw said despite the education watchdog's efforts to stretch the brightest children, little progress has been made in England's schools.

He highlighted how gifted children from poor homes entitled to pupil premium money were still lagging well behind.

… What is most depressing is that the brightest children from disadvantaged backgrounds are the most likely not to achieve their full potential.

My own luck continued. Despite my regional accent and neither of my parents having attended university, I was admitted to King's College, Cambridge. The BBC report that,

The lowest perception of value for money is in England, at about 32% …

In Cambridge, for 18-year-old applicants, there were 1,260 places gained by students in the top fifth most privileged areas, compared with 65 places for those from the least advantaged. There were 30 black students gaining places compared with 270 Asian and 1,785 white students.

There are no breakdowns by private or state education …

Perhaps my only real disadvantage was economic: I am white, male, born in England, from a two-parent household. My parents did not have much income while I was in secondary school and we lived in mid-Cornwall, then one of the poorer areas of the country.

( the government also mostly paid for my undergraduate degree )