David Evennett: ...people and to create aspiration and opportunities for people to maximise their life chances. We need to do that in many and varied ways. We have had a very good debate this afternoon on how we view social mobility, how we think about it and how we should go forward. Members from all parts of the House have raised many issues, and I thank them for giving us more food for thought. There...
David Evennett: I beg to move, That this House has considered social mobility. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Bone. I am grateful to be able to raise this subject, which I believe is vital to our country as we develop global Britain and look to a successful and exciting future. Among other roles outside politics, I have worked as both a teacher and a lecturer, so I am particularly...
David Evennett: I welcome my hon. Friend’s intervention. I, too, am a product of social mobility: education and social mobility have characterised my life. I was born into a family whose origins were in the east end of London, but, through family, education and opportunity, my grandparents and parents were able to develop and get on in life. I am therefore always grateful for the opportunities I had from...
David Evennett: I totally agree—and, of course, the opportunities have to be there for people to do it. That is what this debate is about. Last month, the World Economic Forum highlighted the problem of poor social mobility around the world. It concluded that where someone is born still pretty much determines the opportunities they get in life. It also published a new global social mobility index, on which...
David Evennett: ...standards and opportunities. Education gives us a better understanding of the world around us, helps us to develop a perspective for looking at life and helps us to build opinions. It is key to social mobility. Some 86% of schools are now rated good or outstanding, compared with only 68% in August 2010. That is a real improvement, and the Government should be congratulated on it. More...
David Evennett: ...Britain. The “Elitist Britain” report made a number of policy recommendations, but I want to highlight two of them: “Recruitment practices should be open and transparent” and “Leading social mobility employers should take a sector leadership role and share best practice.” In the previous Parliament and the one before that, I was a strong supporter of the social mobility pledge,...
David Evennett: ...that he was rather constructive and moderate—I am sorry he is not here to hear me say that—on this occasion. There are three areas that I want to highlight: first, working class boys; secondly, social mobility; and, thirdly, colleges. I agree totally with the former Chair of the Education Committee, my right hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Robert Halfon), who highlighted how...
David Evennett: ...Gove) introduced in 2010 to 2012; that is a real achievement, of which we can all be proud, but we need to address other areas for the future, particularly the colleges, working-class lads and social mobility. Our society requires the opportunity for people to move up the social scale; we have not had as much success in that as I would like. However, I am sure that we will be moving...
David Evennett: ...up of the GCSE grade boundaries and the increasing number of excellent education results in our schools. Nevertheless, there is still much to be done. Despite the many successes, we need to address social mobility to allow people to dream—as my right hon. Friend the Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Sir John Hayes) put it, to dream their dreams and achieve their ambitions. That...
David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to respond to the recommendations in the report entitled, Elitist Britain 2019, published by the Social Mobility Commission in June 2019.
David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department plans to take in response to the recommendations of the Social Mobility Commission's report entitled State of the Nation 2018-19: Social Mobility in Great Britain, published on 30 April 2019.
David Evennett: ...will still be doing academic or applied general qualifications. We need to ensure that further education establishments provide opportunities for older, as well as for young, people, and for social mobility. In my view, social mobility is absolutely key to the future of our country, and FE is the engine that can deliver it. Time is short. There are so many more issues I would like to...
David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the planned budget for 2018-19 is for the Social Mobility Commission.
David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve social mobility.
David Evennett: My borough of Bexley has many good and excellent schools that are delivering social mobility. However, does my right hon. Friend agree that more needs to be done through investment in early language and literacy skills to ensure that all children have equal opportunities?
David Evennett: ...achieving and succeeding. They are giving children in a more deprived part of my constituency a real opportunity to achieve. It therefore comes as no surprise that Bexley was listed as one of the social mobility hotspots by the Social Mobility Commission’s state of the nation report in November 2017, but there is still much more to be done. We need to achieve social mobility, and I am...
David Evennett: ...when she was Secretary of State for Education. I particularly welcome her speech, her approach and the support she has already received from the business sector. I welcome and endorse strongly her social mobility pledge. Partnership, access to work experience, a level playing field and of course open recruiting are vital if we are to go forward and utilise the talent that we have across...
David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to encourage further education providers to promote social mobility.
David Evennett: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Does my right hon. Friend agree with me that social mobility is essential to maximise the potential of individuals and our country and that while the Government have achieved a great deal so far, there is still more to be done?
David Evennett: ...universities-we must not forget that all those people have an interest and are involved. The Government's proposals go a long way to achieving all that, because they are progressive and will aid social mobility. [Interruption.] Opposition Members make sedentary comments, but they do not want to listen. They failed to get social mobility in the 13 years that they were in government; we...
