ATL

ATL comment on Social Mobility report

30 May 2012

Commenting on the report, 'Fair Access to Professional Careers: a Progress Report' published today by the Cabinet Office, Martin Johnson, deputy general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lectures (ATL), said:

"If the government was serious about improving social mobility, it would not have trebled university fees, abolished the education maintenance allowance (EMA), introduced free schools that can refuse to take certain children and cut back the Sure Start programme that was a lifeline for children from deprived backgrounds.

"If the government continues with its current policies we expect to see relatively fewer graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds and decreasing social mobility."

Notes to editors

1. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) is an independent, registered trade union and professional association, representing approximately 160,000 teachers, headteachers, lecturers and support staff in maintained and independent nurseries, schools, sixth form, tertiary and further education colleges in the United Kingdom.

2. ATL exists to help members, as their careers develop, through first rate research, advice, information and legal advice.

3. ATL is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and Education International (EI). ATL is not affiliated to any political party and seeks to work constructively with all the main political parties.