Education and Social Mobility

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:47 pm on 22 November 2016.

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Photo of Angela Rayner Angela Rayner Shadow Secretary of State for Education 12:47, 22 November 2016

I am not going to take interventions on that point. I will make some progress.

We know that those from disadvantaged backgrounds are far less likely to get into selective schools, even if they are just as bright as their better-off peers, and we know that even if they do get in, the impact on their attainment is minimal at best. It is not just Labour Members who know it; dozens of the Education Secretary’s own Back Benchers know it. The greatest concerns are about the mistaken priorities revealed by this policy.