Daily roundup 31 March: Social mobility, apprenticeships, and mental health

Low-ability youngsters from wealthy families go on to earn more money than their more gifted, poorer counterparts, Education Secretary Justine Greening has said. The BBC reports that, speaking at a social mobility event, Greening said fairer outcomes remain an "entrenched" problem, with too many pupils failing to reach their potential.


The government's flagship apprenticeships policies have a worrying lack of focus and will not fill widening skills gaps unless they concentrate on sectors and regions where training is most needed, MPs have said. The sub-committee on education, skills and the economy, formed from the Education and Business Select Committees, concluded that the government's Apprenticeship Levy, introduced next week, and target of three million "starts" by the end of the parliament are blunt instruments that risk being unduly focused on simply raising participation levels.


Scottish ministers have launched a five-year mental health strategy worth £300m but have already received criticism that it is too limited and not backed with the resources needed to bring about real change. The Times reports that among the steps announced were a £35m investment over the next five years for extra staff in hospitals, surgeries, police stations and prisons, a new guidance service for schools and a commitment to tackle child and adolescent mental health issues earlier.


A charity will take responsibility for running a council's fostering and adoption services tomorrow in the first arrangement of its kind in the country. The Adolescent and Children's Trust (Tact) will run fostering and adoption services at Peterborough City Council, as well as supporting special guardianship carers across the city as part of a 10-year deal worth £126m.


Responsibility for providing children's services in Sunderland will be officially handed to a community interest company tomorrow. Together for Children has been running children's services in the city in shadow form since September 2016 and will become an organisation in its own right tomorrow (1 April).


A cash-strapped primary school has asked pupils' parents to donate toilet rolls and stationery. The BBC reports that St John's Primary in Sussex is holding a non-school uniform day but instead of donating to charity, pupils were asked to bring in essential items. The chair of the school's governors said it wanted to highlight the "massive financial crisis" all schools face under budget cuts.