The government must devote “far greater energy and focus” to social mobility if it is to fulfil Theresa May’s promise in her first speech as prime minister to tackle “burning injustices” in British society, MPs have said.
The report, by the Commons Education Select Committee, voiced concern about the “farcical” treatment of the government’s Social Mobility Commission, whose board resigned en masse in December.
Rather than let the commission “whistle in the wind”, Mrs May should beef up its powers and resources and appoint a minister in the Cabinet Office with responsibility for pushing forward the social mobility agenda in England, it said.
Last year, the commission warned that disadvantaged pupils outside London have the “odds stacked against them when it comes to accessing quality teachers and attending vibrant schools”.
Former commission chair Alan Milburn told the committee that he and his colleagues quit because the body had become “unviable” after dwindling from 10 to four members as Downing Street repeatedly rejected high-calibre candidates.
Despite Mrs May’s statement on the steps of Number 10, it appeared the government had neither “the ability nor the willingness” to deliver on social mobility, and the commission’s reports were released “into the void”, with “no conversation...no response” from her administration, he said.
The committee said it was “vital” that when new commissioners are appointed, they are given the powers needed to “hold the government’s feet to the fire” on social mobility.
The commission should receive more funding from government and should be given powers to publish assessments of all domestic legislation, setting out their impact on social mobility in England.
Commissioners should be allowed to give advice proactively to ministers, rather than waiting until it is requested, as they currently do.
The body’s name should be changed to the Social Justice Commission to reflect its remit to ensure that government offers “all people equal access to opportunities”, said the committee.
And the MPs called for a body within government, led by a minister for social justice, to coordinate action across departments.
The committee’s chair, Conservative MP and former DfE minister Robert Halfon, said: “We need a commission which has the teeth to undertake objective assessments of the implications for social justice of government policies and is properly equipped to hold ministers’ feet to the fire on social mobility.
“The prime minister sent a strong message when she spoke on the steps of Number 10 about the importance of fighting against the burning injustice in our society, setting out a commitment to ensure our country works for all, not just the privileged few. But if we are to tackle the social crisis in our country, we must devote far greater energy and focus to the social justice agenda.”
A Department for Education said it is recruiting for a new chair for the Social Mobility Commission, with “a proven track record of working to tackle the barriers that can hold people back from fulfilling their ambitions”.
A spokesperson added: “We want to create a country where everyone can go as far as their talents can take them, and education is at the heart of this. That’s why we launched our Social Mobility Action Plan, which sets out measures to close the attainment gap, increase choice at post-16 and targets areas that need the most support through the £72 million Opportunity Areas programme.”
