Yahoo News White working class children 'lack aspiration and drive' of migrant communities, says Ofsted chief
Children from white working class families can the "lack the aspiration and drive" of migrant communities, the Chief Inspector of schools has said.
Amanda Spielman said that schools in white working class areas tend to get worse inspection reports, adding that this “shouldn’t surprise us”.
She cited analysis from the Department for Education (DfE) which showed that schools in these areas struggle to recruit teachers and have challenges with capacity.
Speaking on Thursday at the Wellington College Festival of Education in Berkshire, Ms Spielman said there is “no doubt” that schools in white working class communities have a “harder job to do than others”.
She told delegates: “We can’t pretend that Ofsted judgements are not lower in certain areas – many of them with a high proportion of white working class children.
Many local working class communities have felt the full brunt of economic dislocation in recent years, and, perhaps as a result, can lack the aspiration and drive seen in many migrant communities
Amanda Spielman, Chief Inspector of Schools
“But that shouldn’t surprise us. Over the past few years, there has been a long overdue debate about white working class communities in England, and why they have fallen behind.”
She went on: “We are having to grapple with the unhappy fact that many local working class communities have felt the full brunt of economic dislocation in recent years, and, perhaps as a result, can lack the aspiration and drive seen in many migrant communities.”
Her predecessor, Sir Michael Wilshaw, also spoke at separate conference event about the negative attitude towards education that can be prevalent in white British families.
He said families can let their children down if they “allow their children to do what they like in school, don't support the behaviour policy, don't read to their children, don't care for them, don't love them”.
Sir Michael said that parents who “don't care a monkey's about their child's education” should be fined if they failed to turn up to parents’ evening.
“The reason why London schools are doing so well, apart from good teachers, is that a lot of the immigrant families care about education, they value education, they support their children,” he said.
“I'm working in parts England with white British populations where parents don't care. Or a lot of them don't care. And the head teachers tell me that less than 50 per cent turn up to parents' evening. Now that's outrageous.”
