A damning Ofsted report has revealed that the state education system is failing the poorest children in our society:
Just 51 per cent of secondary schools were judged to be good or outstanding;
34 per cent were merely satisfactory;
10 per cent were inadequate;
Only 12 per cent of 16-year-olds in care gained five or more A*-C GCSEs;
Just 33 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals gained five or more A*-C GCSEs;
61 per cent of non free school meals children gained five or more A*-C GCSEs;
More than 200,000 young people aged 16-18 have left school with no qualifications at all.
This record is a national disgrace. A system of state education that was originally designed to remove education inequalities has managed to entrench them. No matter how much extra money the state education system receives from taxpayers, it will not fundamentally improve unless politicians, who lack experience of managing large organisations and lack detailed knowledge of education, are removed from its management.