- Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said that white working-class children in Britain require "exceptional" talent or "luck" to achieve success, criticising social mobility as a "distant dream" that has failed this demographic.
- Her remarks followed an independent inquiry which concluded that "once-in-a-generation reforms" are urgently needed to address the persistently low attainment of white working-class pupils, identified as England's worst-performing large demographic.
- The inquiry highlighted that 1.25 million white British pupils eligible for free school meals consistently show the weakest educational outcomes across all stages.
- Phillipson argued that the social contract promising success for hard work has been broken, contributing to young men turning to "online hate" and lacking aspiration for home ownership or employment.
- Recommendations from the inquiry include extending 30 hours of free childcare to all disadvantaged families, prioritising reading fluency for white working-class children, reducing financial risks for further study, and providing free public transport for all under-21s.
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