Working class people should aim ‘lower’ than Oxbridge, social mobility tsar to say

People from poor backgrounds should take “smaller steps” rather than aiming for Oxbridge, the Government’s new social mobility tsar will say on Thursday.

In her first speech as the Chairman of the Social Mobility Commission, Katharine Birbalsingh will argue that there is too much focus on those from deprived backgrounds getting into the top universities or elite jobs like surgeons, bankers and CEOs.

Instead, the emphasis should be on people taking small steps up the ladder, from the bottom to the middle rungs, she will argue as she vows to tackle uncomfortable truths head-on.

“We want to move away from the notion that social mobility should just be about the ‘long’ upward mobility from the bottom to the top – the person who is born into a family in social housing and becomes a banker or CEO,” Ms Birbalsingh is expected to say.

“We want to promote a broader view of social mobility, for a wider range of people, who want to improve their lives, sometimes in smaller steps.

“This means looking at how to improve opportunities for those at the bottom – not just by making elite pathways for the few – but by thinking about those who would otherwise be left behind.”

Ms Birbalsingh will give her first speech on Thursday since her appointment to chair of the advisory government body in October Credit: S Meddle/ITV/Shutterstock

Too often success has been defined as a caretaker’s daughter going to Oxbridge and becoming a top surgeon, she will say as she calls for a radical shift in the way the UK views social mobility.

Instead more attention should be paid to those taking small steps up, like those whose parents were unemployed who now have a job, the son of a postman becoming a branch manager or the daughter of a care worker becoming a primary school teacher, she will say.

Ms Birbalsingh, whose no-nonsense approach has earned her a reputation as “Britain’s strictest headteacher”, will set out her vision for a new approach to social mobility at the Policy Exchange in London on Thursday.

It will be her first speech since her appointment to chair of the advisory government body in October.

The founder and headmistress at Michaela Community School in north London first rose to prominence during the Tory party conference in 2010 where she argued that schools had been “blinded by Leftist ideology”, leading to a lack of discipline and bad behaviour.

She has now vowed to use her time as chair on the commission to focus on ensuring that parents take greater responsibility for their children’s education.

The commission will also look at how small businesses can improve diversity and ways to create more regional opportunities to support the Government’s levelling up agenda.

Leading institutions such as Oxbridge have been ordered to increase their intake of state school students Credit: blackjake

But she will use the event to emphasise there’s not “a one size fits all model of social mobility”.

“If a child of parents who were long-term unemployed, or who never worked, gets a good job in their local area, isn’t that a success worth celebrating?” Ms Birbalsingh is set to ask.

“Would we really say that it doesn’t count as social mobility because they are not a doctor or lawyer?”

She believes there has been too much focus on widening access to university, at a time when leading institutions such as Oxbridge have been ordered to increase their intake of state school students.

But university does not always bring the benefits hoped for, she will say, and instead diverts attention away from the 50 per cent of people who choose not to go into higher education.

“What can we do for those young people and adults who have not followed the higher education pathway but still need a route to high skills and good occupational opportunities?” she will ask.

“And what more should be done about those at the very bottom – particularly those with low levels of basic literacy and numeracy – who cannot therefore take advantage of higher learning and are unable to access higher paid work?”

As she sets out the ways in which she intends to make changes, Ms Birbalsingh will emphasise that the belief that social mobility is getting worse is wrong.

An analysis by the Commission shows that occupational mobility has been stable or slightly improving for decades. Over the next year they will focus on areas that are less clear cut, such as income, housing and wealth.

A framework on how to deal with the issues, and measure mobility, will be set out in the Commission’s State of the Nation 2022 report, to be published later this month.

“We passionately believe that with a sharper lens, which really spots where the problems lie, we can find out what works and start making a difference.

“In the end it’s about ensuring that everyone has a decent chance to succeed in a career that they choose, whatever their background. It’s about people being able to change their stars”, Ms Birbalsingh is expected to say.