FE: the third way to increase social mobility

by Mark Corney

The Coalition Government believes increasing social mobility is an economic, social and moral imperative despite the double dip recession and the fiscal deficit.

This week, the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, explained the progress made over to past year to improve social mobility.*

The strategy may look comprehensive at first glance, however the ultimate concern of the Coalition, and it seems the Deputy Prime Minister, is increasing the number of bright children from poor backgrounds entering higher education by age 18/19.

Young people want jobs stupid!

by Mark Corney

The unemployment figures will be published on Wednesday.

The broader measure of unemployment provides a rolling quarterly average of the number of people who have looked for work in the past four weeks and ready to work in the next two.

The time frame is January to March which coincides with the start of the double dip recession when GDP fell by 0.2%.

Signs of further weakness in the youth labour market should show up on Wednesday although the fact that unemployment is a lagging indicator suggests the worst is yet to come.

A momentous week for education?

by Mark Corney

The local and city polls tomorrow are the main mid-term elections before the general election in 2015.

Next Wednesday the Queen's Speech will set out the future legislative programme of the Coalition Government.

Both parties of the Coalition will have factored-in a hammering in the English local elections long ago. The Queen's speech offers a chance to reclaim the political initiative. Education will have to feature somewhere.

The outcome of the London mayoral election whilst critical to the fortunes of the Conservatives and Labour is less important than a high turn-out.