Governments have 'failed white working-class students,' the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said.
As pupils wait in great anticipation for GCSE results day this Thursday morning, she warned that four-fifths of children from white working-class backgrounds struggle with English and Maths skills.
Ms Phillipson said that as a result, Britain is falling behind as the UK's productivity suffers and so does the economy.
In 2024, only 19 per cent of white British, working-class children achieved a strong pass in Maths and English GCSE and has been a trend in data since 2017.
'It's appalling, and I won't stand by and watch those numbers continue to grow. It's not just the life chances of those children that are being damaged – it's also the health of our society as a whole. Swathes of human capability and productivity lost.
