Closing National Tutoring Programme will cut off vital support for poorer pupils
Education and social mobility experts at the Sutton Trust have warned politicians that inequalities in education are a ticking time bomb for social mobility and social cohesion, unless there is a renewed focus on tackling the attainment gap.
The difference in education outcomes between low-income students and their better-off peers – known as the attainment gap – has widened considerably since the pandemic, wiping out a decade of progress.
The gap decreased slightly during the early 2010s, before progress stalled prior to the pandemic. However, the disruption to learning caused by COVID-19 saw the gap widen drastically again to levels not seen since 2011.
The Trust warns these inequalities will worsen without decisive action to navigate the perfect storm of the ongoing cost of living crisis, high rates of persistent absence and the related surge in mental health issues among pupils.
