|
Private schools have given people step up says Miliband |
|
|
|
|
The private school system has historically given some people better life chances than others, said Cabinet Secretary Ed Miliband.
Facing questions from academic and Third Way author Tony Giddens at a Fabian fringe, Miliband about how the government could tackle inequalities caused by the private school system, he said: "I don't think it is an easy issue." At the Where Next for the Equalities Debate, Miliband challenged Giddens to come up with solutions or suggestions.
"This will just be more of the same really unless the government faces up to the strategies of the affluent, which lock people into social exclusion, such as the covert selection in faith schools. The same thing applies to private schools – where extending charitable status and so forth isn't going to be strong enough for the challenge we face", said Giddens
"The problems which you point up are absolutely right. It is fine to point out the fact that Britain has had a private school system has given advantages to those who can afford to use it, but the question is what are you going to do about it? I agree with you about the issues you cite. It isn't an easy issue to discuss while trying to win an election. The challenge is partly how you talk about these issues constructively", said Ed Miliband.
Giddens said there was more that the government could do to tackle the issue that the middle class were playing the education system so they were the only ones that had choice. "You can experiment a lot more with lotteries. I think the government should be looking at some more things." The Sutton Trust had pioneered a model of needs-blind admissions at Belvedere School in Liverpool, but the goverment did not seem keen to pursue that.
Miliband emphasized that it was necessary to sell universal strategy on equality to the wider British public outside the elite.
He felt that what was needed was universal strategies that had relevance to a wide-ranging group of people, such as an anti bullying strategy that takes in homophobic and racist bullying.
He asked: "How do you build public support?" He felt it was essential to win wider public support. "We have to have an inclusive vision. I don't think emulating Scandinavia like a carbon copy is realistic," he said, adding that there was something to learn from social democracy in Scandinavia.
Miliband felt that when he talked to the public, many felt that equality was about someone else, rather than affecting their lives.
He felt there needed to a wider variety of pathways for young people rather just a choice between going on the X Factor or going into the service sector.
"White working class boys and girls in my constituency – what is it they are aiming for?"
Academic and panellist Tony Giddens said: "I think we should be thinking about positive discrimination, admittedly this has always been controversial. Positive discrimination has an important role in reducing inequalities." He would support all-minority shortlists for parliamentary seats, he said.
Rushanara Ali of the Young Foundation said that she didn't think it was enough to say to parents who had concerns about academic standards that they must send their children to the local school, without tackling the concerns.
Another issue for her was the level of child poverty in London. ""Child poverty is 40% almost double where it is other parts of the country. We need to look clearly at that."
"Inheritance tax is one of the most egalitarian taxes you can possibly have, but people are against it," said Giddens. But most people did not have a logical position, they wanted to bring inheritance tax down and cut inequality.
Baroness Jane Campbell, a commissioner at the new body the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights, said the three legacy commission and three other areas was the beginning of the journey for the new CEHR when it launches next week.
She acknowledged that the CEHR faced a wave of cynicism about its abilities, but underlined its commitment to promoting the new Human Rights Act by changing the narrative on rights. "We need to change the argument - but giving up our rights is not an option".
|
