Pupils not inspired by teachers Sunday Express

We say...

This is a clear case of headline hyperbole.

“Britain’s schools are failing because they are not inspiring children to be successful”, the article began.

The evidence? A survey by the Sutton Trust educational charity which indicated that children from working-class backgrounds were less likely than middle-class young people to aspire to professional jobs and higher education.

But it is unclear where the Sunday Express got the idea that teachers were to blame for the low aspirations - since the survey was of parents.

It was the children’s own families who said how far in education and in their careers they imagined the pupils would go.

And a key finding was missing from the article. The parents were also asked if their children had been encouraged to aim high by their schools. Seven out of 10 said yes.