GLARING inequalities persist in young people’s knowledge of the education system and career options, according to a new report.
Access to information about “how the system works” is skewed heavily in favour of those from more affluent backgrounds, research suggests.
Equality of opportunity is under threat because some groups benefit from superior knowledge that helps them get ahead in education and employment, the report warns.
The Speakers for Schools charity said its study had found that a third of young people from the least advantaged backgrounds did not receive career advice from family or friends, compared with 5 per cent of those who have a parent with a degree.
Private school students were more likely to have spoken to a careers adviser at school, while young people eligible for free school meals were less likely to know that graduates earned more than non-graduates.
Speakers for Schools chief executive Nick Brook said: “Young people without access to networks outside of school for advice and guidance need to be able to access this in school, through improved careers advice, mentoring and support.
“Currently, these services are underfunded and overstretched.”
James Bowen, assistant general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said the report “shines a useful spotlight” on how disadvantage can “manifest itself in all sorts of different forms throughout a young person’s life.
“It shows that academic outcomes are only one part of the picture and that a whole range of other factors are at play too,” he said.
“Breaking down those additional barriers is vital if we are to give all young people the best possible start in life.”
Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Pepe Di’Iasio said: “Our country’s esoteric processes for accessing higher education and certain careers are a real barrier to young people who do not know how to navigate them, and we’re hugely supportive of initiatives which demystify those processes.
“We would like to see schools and colleges better supported by the government and by employers to provide the two weeks’ worth of work experience pledged in Labour’s general election manifesto, as well as the provision of a much more extensive careers advice network on which schools and colleges can draw to provide expert independent guidance to their students.
“These are important steps in creating equal opportunities for all.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said the government was “determined to break down barriers to opportunity for all our young people and transform their life chances.”
