Lower-achieving pupils from rich families earn more than talented poorer children, the Education Secretary has admitted.
Justine Greening was speaking at a conference on social mobility, which she described as a “cold, hard, economic imperative” for the country.
Ms Greening drew on her experience growing up in Rotherham as she outlined the challenges faced by poorer families.
“Children from high-income backgrounds who show signs of low academic ability at age five are 35 per cent more likely to become high earners than their poorer peers who show early signs of high ability,” Ms Greening said.
She added: “Graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds who do make it to the top jobs still earn, on average, over £2,200 a year less than their colleagues who happen to have been born to professional or managerial parents – even when they have the same educational attainment, the same role and the same experience.” Read more