In a speech in Gillingham, launching his fifth and final mission for a better Britain, Starmer will say that: “the race is on for the jobs and industries of the future” and Britain must “grow the talents of every child” to succeed.
He will explain why the ‘class ceiling’ is stifling opportunity for too many young people across the country.
“There’s also something more pernicious. A pervasive idea, a barrier in our collective minds, that narrows our ambitions for working class children and says, sometimes with subtlety, sometimes to your face – this isn’t for you. Some people call it the “class ceiling” – and that’s a good name for it. It’s about economic insecurity, structural and racial injustice – of course it is. But it’s also about a fundamental lack of respect. A snobbery that too often extends into adulthood. Raising its ugly head when it comes to inequalities at work – in pay, promotions, opportunities to progress”.
Starmer will draw on his working-class background, the first in his family to go to university, to say why this mission is so personal to him.
“This mission is my core purpose and my personal cause. To fight – at every stage, for every child – the pernicious idea that background equals destiny. That your circumstances, who you are, where you come from, who you know, might shape your life more than your talent, effort and enterprise. No – breaking that link: that’s what Labour is for. I’ve always felt that. It runs deep for me.”
He will say that fulfilling his five missions depends upon harnessing the talents of everyone, with a world class education and skills strategy, in all parts of the country.
The speech will set out a plan and bold reforming agenda to expand opportunity:
- Planning reform – to build more houses so that 1.5 million people can become homeowners
- Early years reform – to boost child development with an ambitious target of half a million more children hitting their early learning targets by 2030
- School reform – modernising the curriculum so that it properly prepares young people with the knowledge, skills and personal qualities needed to thrive in work and life.
- Strengthen the teaching profession – so that we end the recruitment and retention crisis that is doing so much damage to standards in schools and ensure every child has an excellent specialist teacher in their classroom.
- Skills reform – creating more opportunities for young people to learn vocational skills and adults to retrain in the skills businesses need
Labour’s opportunity plan will put at its heart the ambitious goal of changing Britain so children’s future earnings are no longer limited by those of their parents, making us one of the fairest countries in the OECD. This is something no government has systematically attempted to do before.
Starmer will say that including everyone in the new economy is vital if Britain is to succeed in a rapidly changing world:
“It’s urgent. This is the world of artificial intelligence, of genomics, of technologies that stretch the boundaries of our imagination.
“We’ve got to open our minds to meet that. Turn our eyes towards our children’s future. Make sure – we are preparing them for life and work in their Britain. The industries of tomorrow can come to our shores. But the rest of the world is pushing forward as well. The race for the future is unforgiving. So, we’ve got to move fast.
“We must unlock the potential that is in every community. Grow the talents of every child.”
Starmer will say that one of the most important ways of shattering the class ceiling is ending once and for all the academic/vocational divide that still does great damage to the lives of too many young people.
He will say:
“I’m serious – the sheep and goats mentality that’s always been there in English education. The “academic for my kids; vocational for your kids” snobbery. This has no place in modern society. No connection to the jobs of the future.
“No – for our children to succeed, they need a grounding in both. Need skills and knowledge. Practical problem-solving and academic rigour. Curiosity and a love of learning too – they’ve always been critical. But now – as the future rushes towards us. We also need a greater emphasis on creativity, on resilience, on emotional intelligence and the ability to adapt. On all the attributes – to put it starkly – that make us human, that distinguish us from learning machines.”
Commenting ahead of the mission launch, Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan said:
“Too many children are being let down, leaving school without essential reading, writing or maths skills. Too many are being denied the opportunity to participate in arts, digital and sports subjects that develop life skills, like communication, teamwork and digital skills, which are essential for their futures.
Labour will raise school standards for all children in Portsmouth and across the country.
We’ll ensure every child has the core knowledge and skills they need as part of a broad curriculum, delivered by recruiting and training thousands more expert teachers.”
Mr Morgan will be joining the Labour leader Keir Starmer in Gillingham today in his role as Shadow Minister for Schools.
