Old school ties alive and well as class stifles potential, warns Clegg

The Lib Dem leader, who attended the £30,000-a-year Westminster School, said it was a “damning indictment” on the UK that some people are born with a sense of entitlement, while others simply face exclusion.

In a speech to the Sutton Trust in central London yesterday, Mr Clegg said: “Too often, the question of class and class attitudes is left in the shadows of the social mobility debate.

“Politicians are often reluctant to get into a discussion about class especially if, like me, they have been fortunate in their background, schooling and opportunities.

“But we can’t ignore it. Class still counts. We are a long distance from being a classless society.”

Mr Clegg said that at one end of the spectrum there are those who feel almost a sense of entitlement to the best schools, universities and jobs.

“Advantages are handed down almost automatically, generation to generation,” he said. “And so from day one, they hear a clear, self-confident message. One that says: ‘The world is yours. Go for it’.”

Mr Clegg insisted this message should be heard by everyone, but that many children from poorer homes look at certain qualifications, schools, universities and jobs and believe they are not meant for them, because that is what they are continually told.

Half the parents from higher social classes expect their child to get a job in a profession, compared to one in five of those from the lowest social backgrounds, he said. And one in five teachers say they never advise their brightest students to apply to Oxford and Cambridge.

“To me, that is a damning indictment on all of us,” Mr Clegg said.

He was speaking as the government published a raft of new “trackers” designed to measure progress in making society fairer. The 17 indicators cover areas including readiness for school, the attainment of youngsters on free school meals at age 16 compared with their peers, and the proportion of poorer children going to university.

Sir Martin Harris, director of the Office for Fair Access, said: “I warmly welcome the recognition in this report that raising attainment and aspiration in schools is a vital factor in fair access to higher education for all bright and able children, regardless of their background.”

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union said: “Nick Clegg has consistently made positive noises about the importance of social mobility and it would be unfair to suggest it is not something he feels strongly about.

“However, his warm words will never be a substitute for government policies that would genuinely help the poorest.”