We all know that the circumstances into which we are born play a huge part in determining our life chances, from family income and geography to disability and immigration status. Education is key to addressing these inequalities, but a new report by the Social Market Foundation think tank reveals how uneven access to knowledge is reinforcing these disparities, at the vital juncture between education and employment.
Critically, the report finds that access to 'assumed knowledge', which it defines as "the things that some might assume everyone instinctively knows about ‘how the system works'", is severely skewed towards young people from wealthier backgrounds, and those whose parents who have been to university.
This leads to some striking findings. When it comes to study choices, almost half of young people were unaware that graduates earned more than non-graduates, with those eligible for free school meals less likely to know. Meanwhile, more than a third of young people from less advantaged backgrounds failed to identify Cambridge as the most prestigious university from a list of institutions.
These gaps in knowledge extend to careers planning. One third of young people from the least advantaged backgrounds did not receive careers advice from family or friends. That figure drops to 5 per cent for those with a parent holding a post-graduate degree.
It goes on. With regards to job applications, less than half of young people eligible for free school meals knew that salaries could be negotiated, compared with nearly two-thirds of their better off peers. Meanwhile, only 60 per cent of 15-28 years olds whose parents did not graduate saw the value of networking. Unsurprisingly at this point, that number jumps to 81 per cent among respondents with graduate parents.
The report, in partnership with Speakers for Schools, calls for amongst other things the rollout of two weeks’ worth of work experience for all young people, embedding assumed knowledge into the curriculum and a more proactive role for the National Careers service when young people leave compulsory education.
More egregious examples of inequality occasionally hit the headlines, whether it be life expectancy between neighbouring postcodes or the raffling off of high-value internships at silent auctions. But this report demonstrates that gaps in assumed knowledge can be just as important.
No one is arguing for equality of outcome, and the middle classes will forever seek to protect the financial and social status off their offspring. But if we are serious about narrowing the attainment gap and better understanding what drives inequality, this report is a good place to start.
