WHITE working-class kids are suffering “particularly poor” results at school, a damning report warns.
The Institute for Government said the “high-impact” group of children most hurt by poverty is made up mostly of white British pupils.
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Its study found council areas with the weakest results are “disproportionately likely” to have “above-average” numbers of disadvantaged white pupils.
The think tank said education gaps have “grown wider and more pronounced” since the Covid pandemic and stressed tackling high absence rates “will be key” to narrowing educational inequalities.
Amber Dellar, report author, said: “The pandemic has undone much of the last decade’s progress in tackling educational inequalities, leaving some areas and groups of children far behind.
“The Government’s opportunity mission is a good starting point for narrowing the gaps, but it lacks a clear vision or plan for delivering that goal in schools.”
It comes after the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said it was a “national disgrace” that so many white working-class children are being “written off” in the education system.
She said her focus will be turning around the attainment gap.
