Introduction

These two quotations highlight the problem faced in developing an educational system that supports these broader (as opposed to narrower) forms of social mobility. China is lauded in the West for its achievements in the international PISA (Programme of International Student Assessment) tests. However, this obsession with attainment comes at a cost for countries such as Korea and China. Nor are those in these countries entirely happy with what their own education systems are doing. Yet they are greatly admired by education policy makers in the UK. Increasingly we now share their obsession, but the idea that England should emulate these countries should be considered carefully.

Academics and politicians both see educational achievement as central to social mobility. Even accepting the doubts outlined in previous chapters regarding the limitations of education in terms of the problems it can solve and the returns it provides, it would be perverse to suggest that improving the attainment of learners from lower socioeconomic groups is not crucial. It would be equally perverse to criticise or ignore the efforts that are going into closing the gaps in attainment between social groups. While the coalition government slowed down investment in education, from 2010 to 2015 it built on Labour’s commitment to reducing attainment gaps through initiatives such as the Pupil Premium, which has allocated funding to every child from a disadvantaged background, and the creation of the Education Endowment Foundation, which works to fund, identify and disseminate innovative, leading practice in work to raise educational attainment.