Education inequality debate - May 2023

The Sylvan education inequality debate considered the following motion:

This house believes the UK’s education system exacerbates inequality.

The debate took place on Monday, 15th May. Julian Meek proposed the motion and Matt Lobo opposed it.

The proposition arguing that the education system exacerbates inequality

The proposer pointed out that education should enhance individuals, yet the functional education system churns out lawyers. We have an unequal society, we know that the establishment have the power. We need to acknowledge inequality and the lack of equal educational opportunities. Foreign students pay more, and the system cheats people for the sake of the system and conformity. Yet no education system can suit every individual. Some pass with flying colours and go on to earn loads of money. Do SATS test memory or ability?

16-20% of adults in the UK are illiterate. We need to celebrate diversity, difference and collaboration. We have marginalised education areas in the north, inner vs. outer London, rural vs. towns as well as by culture / race. Singapore leads the international school results league table, yet has the highest suicide rate. Parents here struggle with special education, for instance dyslexia. Minorities as well as working class white boys struggle.

The opposition against the education inequality debate motion

The opposer stressed that education is in crisis, with a lack of teachers (he is one), mental health, etc. Inequality in education leads to social immobility. Should we blame the education system for the lack of mobility? As a maths teacher, I face issues in my classroom out of my control, and need support outside the classroom. Katherine Birbalsingh says schools should make better use of their resources. Parenting affects my day-to-day job. Kids turn up to school with lower skills, with parents reading less and the impact of covid. The highest achievers have the most engaged parents, who pay attention at home. Mental health access remains poor, with one in six young people having a mental health issue.

The opposer continued

Social mobility leads to higher-paid jobs via university and post-graduate degrees. However, professionals succeed with soft skills including building relationships and problem solving. 90% of people don’t need a degree, yet we drag kids through a rigorous programme that doesn’t develop their skills. As a teacher I can’t teach 30 kids and treat anxiety – no. The healthcare system needs to handle this. We should change the curriculum, we can support kids. The education system is not the problem.

Floor speeches from the audience of the education inequality debate

Floor speakers considered all aspects of the topic. Parents with resources can access better private healthcare, unavailable in the state system. Academia drives important research, but not all can aspire to that and we shouldn’t neglect other students. Private schools drive the exacerbation, they do provide an advantage. They entrench the class system, isolating the upper class and making it harder to break into professions. Yet private schools save the taxpayer money. The size of the education gap has remained constant – it will remain regardless of the system. Does the system make you do better or worse? Where you are in the system determines this, if you get a scholarship you can get a great outcome. The system is fickle and arbitrary, and it always ends up as a class position. We need to even out funding and abolish private schools.

Floor speeches continued

40% go to university and they mix people across the country. It’s impossible to have a fair education system. Eton has had 9 prime ministers – not about parent engagement. Finland abolished private schools, has better access to education. Inequality starts at a young age, very difficult to disentangle in-going factors to measure the impact of the system. We spend £116 billion on education, without that investment inequality would be far worse. Don’t let anyone define you, define yourself.

The opposer’s rebuttal

In rebuttal, the opposer pointed out that private school parents value education as they have to pay extra for it. We need to change the culture of how we talk of education – ‘I’m not very good with numbers’. The education system isn’t the problem. The prime ministers got there due to networking, not the product of the education system. I can’t teach numeracy, not part of the curriculum. Inequality happens before the kids step into the school door. We can’t get rid of inequality, some kids will walk in behind their peers.

The proposer’s closing speech

In closing, the proposer reiterated that the education system comes from society, the establishment. Pink Floyd – we don’t need no. The education system should face its Waterloo. I didn’t base my case on private schools, because it’s the system, the establishment. Education should centre on how you think, how you feel. Home education opts out of the system. Only a small minority go to private schools. Education should be the bulwark against inequality.

Result: the education inequality debate motion did not carry

In a razor-thin final vote, the Sylvans concluded through the education inequality debate that the education system has not exacerbated inequality.

See information on other Sylvan debates here.

In the education inequality debate, the Sylvans considered whether the education system exacerbates inequality, and disagreed.

Sylvan Debating Club

Education inequality debate – May 2023