Students from poorer families still at an educational disadvantage

The chances of poor pupils becoming high achievers remained slim, claims the Institute of Education.

13:51 29 January 2014

Researchers from the Institute of Education and the University of Surrey recently concluded that although the standards in education have been steadily rising, the chances of poor pupils becoming high achievers has remained low.

Those from less well-off backgrounds are, on average, not securing qualifications needed to compete at the top level of the employment market.

The researchers used data from the 1958 National Child Development Study; the 1970 British Cohort; the British Household Panel Survey; the National Pupil Database; the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England; and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

Lindsey MacMillan, one of the authors of the report said that she would like to see “more consistent guidance about what elite universities and employers are looking for.” She added that there is a need for poor students to know that they can increase their chances if they excel in English, Math, Sciences, history, and modern languages.

"I'm loath to say 'more targets please'," Dr MacMillan said, "but more emphasis on the kinds of subjects pupils take would be helpful."

She added: "The fact that the relative gap is closing is, I think, a good sign; the unanswered question is whether that can be carried on at [age] 16, 18 and 21."