ABSTRACT
Michael Gove is the most recent Secretary of State for Education to express frustration at the (apparent) inability of schools in England to ensure that children can achieve their highest possible ambitions, irrespective of their personal circumstances and social backgrounds. The 2010 Coalition Government, like its Labour predecessor, introduced a range of policies and interventions intended to increase social mobility. This chapter explores what we mean by social mobility, looks at the record of the UK, examines the performance of schools in promoting opportunity, the transmission of advantage and disadvantage, and briefl y introduces aspects of the policies of the two governments that have been in power in recent years. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of the opportunities available to young people as the UK economy assumes an ‘hourglass’ shape over the next ten years.
