Ruth Kelly emphasised the Government's commitment to closing the"attainment gap" and said progress had been made for the first time inyears. Child poverty campaigners welcomed the turnaround but insistedthat the rate of progress had been slow.
Kelly used a speech the Institute for Public Policy Research to presshome the Government's commitment to closing the gap between theachievements of children from different backgrounds.
"When I spoke to the institute last year I said I was concerned that thegap may have been growing. Though a large gap remains I'm heartened thatwe seem to be making progress. If anything there has been a slightclosing of the gap at age 14 and 16," she said. "Given how many factorsimpact on educational attainment, many of which are social and thereforehard for government to affect, this is quite an achievement. Schools,local authorities and colleges up and down the country should beproud."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
