Thursday, 21st June 2007

In this lecture, DWP Minister James Purnell set out the case and vision for building an aspiration society where life chances are not inherited at birth, but depend on each person's own efforts and talents. He addressed some of the key policy questions for the next decade agenda, in particular placing education at the centre of the future political and policy debates and of the Labour government's future social vision.

"Life chances should not be inherited at birth. That means an unrelenting focus on education. The budget's goal of narrowing the funding gap between state and private schools gives us the platform. We now need a debate about how that funding can be matched with reform so that more equal funding needs to more equal life chances."

James Purnell and Jim Murphy, The Times, March 26th 2007.

As part of the lecture, Purnell examined the 'conservatism' both of the left and the right, and opened a broader debate about some of the policy instruments (for example, the piloting of talent budgets, resourcing, class sizes in the most difficult areas, voluntary and private provision for excluded pupils) which would need to be developed and extended if the next stage of education reform is to champion aspiration, extend opportunity and narrow the gaps in life chances.

In addressing some of the key political and policy challenges for making his vision of an aspiration society a reality, the lecture intended to provide some important signposts for the future debates around opportunity, aspiration and education, which will be particularly salient in the run-up to and following the Comprehensive Spending Review this Autumn.

This lecture took place on 21 June 2007, in the Macmillan Room, Portcullis House.

Full text of speech