Today, Wednesday 15th June, the Times Education Commission has released its final report on the future of education.
Commenting on the report, Natalie Perera, Chief Executive of the Education Policy Institute (EPI), said:
“Today’s Times Education Commission report highlights the pressing need for the government to tackle the growing gap in inequalities in education, which have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
EPI welcomes a number of recommendations in the report which reflect findings from our own evidence. These include significantly increasing funding in the early years, improving mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges, extending the Pupil Premium to cover children who have a child protection plan in place, ensuring all children have access to a digital device, increasing post-16 funding and raising the status of the teaching profession.
Our research has found that, prior to the pandemic, the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers stood at over 18 months by age 16 and was widening. If the government is serious about “levelling up” it must tackle, with urgency, evidence-based interventions which will help to close the gap. A concerted strategy that tackles poverty as well as education and health inequalities is crucial.”
