Grammar Schools Damage Social Mobility

The Education Policy Institute has published a report on social mobility and higher education.

It is a collection of essays examining whether grammar schools aid social mobility and access to higher education. They find that while an increasing number of young people have progressed to higher education in recent years, the gap in access between poorer and more affluent students remains stark with students from the most affluent areas more than twice as likely to enter higher education than those in the most deprived areas. For the most selective universities, they are six times more likely.

The essays challenge earlier evidence that suggested grammar schools help disadvantaged students reach higher-tariff universities, and state that school selection “depresses” overall educational achievement, harming those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. The essays recommend making universities more comprehensive rather that secondary schools more selective.

Read the full report here.