In a seven-part series, teacher and school leader David Anderson considers how schools can be a key driver for social justice and how we can make our education system more equitable. In part three, he considers huge disparities between state and private schools when it comes to resources and funding


SecEd series: A school system that drives social justice


Every normal working day I drive past students walking in two different directions. One group is walking up the hill to the state comprehensive where I work. The other is walking down the hill, from their boarding houses to their lessons in an independent school. Both schools in this middle-England market town have a similar number of students – about 850.

These two groups of students walk the same pavements and breathe the same oxygen. However, once they arrive at their respective schools, their experiences are markedly different.

At the independent school, each student is funded between four and 6.5 times the amount of those at my school. Despite having very similar numbers of students, the following comparisons can be made.

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here