Former education secretary calls for 'constant' reviewing of social mobilitypublished at 18:00 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December 2016
Report from the Social Mobility Committee
House of Lords
Parliament
Former Education Secretary Lord Baker of Dorking says he thinks the social mobility committee's report is "good" but he is disappointed it is a one-off event as social mobility deserves "a more constant surveillance by this House".
Moving on to secondary and grammar schools, Lord Baker says the UK is the only country separating children at age 11 and he believes it is "so much better at 14" because children have a better idea of what they want to do. He says grammar schools are now the enclave of the middle class but tells peers that he's not against grammar schools at 14 when he believes academic skill will prevail.
Lord Baker says "social mobility has to start in schools" and ends by saying that he hopes the information in the committee's report are not going to "disappear into the sand".