Zahawi pledges to close 'disadvantage gap' for vulnerable pupils
Nina Jacobs
Monday, October 11, 2021
Education Secretary Nadim Zahawi has pledged to "work tirelessly" to close the disadvantage gap and boost the education outcomes for vulnerable groups of children.
Speaking at the National Association of Headteachers’ conference, Zahawi said he would focus on delivering a "world-class education for all children", as this was the "only way we can escape the quicksand of disadvantage".
Zahawi pledged to close the disadvantage gap by making sure vulnerable groups of children, such as those with special educational needs and disabilities or with care experience "get as many opportunities as their peers".
He said: "It is about acknowledging that we must close the disadvantage gap and do the best by every single child by focusing on the outcomes for every single child.
"That means mental health must be better understood and support provided where it’s needed. I want us to put wellbeing at the centre of everything we do in schools alongside a drive for rigorous standards and high performance."
Persistent pupil absences would also be tackled “head on” to understand the root causes of why some children were not routinely attending school, he added.
“The children who lost out the most from not being in school are likely to be the ones who can cope least, the vulnerable, the disadvantaged. You can’t help them if they aren’t there.
"I will be tireless in pursuing all these issues,” he said.
Zahawi said he would not be drawn on investment plans for education, due to be announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review later this month, but that he would not stop “making the case” for investing in children and young people.
In one of his first keynote speeches since replacing Gavin Williamson as Secretary of State for Education in the recent reshuffle, Zahawi told delegates he was committed to improving services in the first 1,001 days of a child’s life.
This would include championing family hubs and helping parents to provide the best home-learning environment for their children, he said.
“One of the reasons I was able to succeed at school as an 11-year-old without English, is because as well as fantastic teachers, I had parents at home who were always urging me on and who understood the value of education. That makes a world of difference.”
However, Zahawi said benefiting from good education was not a “given” and he felt responsible to stand up for every child, especially those that did not have the same advantages as him.
