Social mobility 'unchanged for 30 years'

Ministers have insisted that "closing the affluence gap" in education is a priority for the government after a study found "stark inequalities" between rich and poor pupils.

The Sutton Trust education charity said on Thursday that social mobility had not improved for 30 years, leaving divisions between the attainment of bright children from poor homes and those from wealthier families.

The report also found that just 10 per cent of young people from the poorest fifth of households gained a university degree in 2002, compared to 44 per cent from the richest fifth of the population.

"Parental background continues to exert a significant influence on the academic progress of recent generations of children," the report said.

Sutton Trust chairman Sir Peter Lampl pointed out that Britain "remains stuck at the bottom of the international league tables when it comes to social mobility".

Calling for a inquiry into social mobility, he said: "It is appalling that young people's life chances are still so tied to the fortunes of their parents, and that this situation has not improved over the last three decades."

However, children's minister Beverley Hughes pointed out that the research was based on children born in 2001-02.

"It's far too early to say what will happen to those young people over their lifetime," she said.

"Closing the affluence gap in education is a top priority for this government, and we have made encouraging recent progress."

The "previous decline in social mobility in the UK appears to have stabilised," Hughes said.

She added: "As we look to the future we hope to see more evidence of our reforms making a real difference to people's lives, and improving the economic and social prospects for people born into more disadvantaged circumstances."

But Liberal Democrat children's spokesman David Laws said ministers "should be ashamed by yet another report highlighting our country's appalling record on social mobility".

"Instead of the gimmicks and further reviews that were announced earlier this week, ministers need to urgently tackle the inequality at the heart of our education system, which is failing our poorest children," he added.