Britain’s political and educational establishment has abandoned white working-class boys, said Reform UK education spokeswoman Suella Braverman, warning that they face some of the worst outcomes in the country.
Speaking in an interview with GB News at the CPAC GB conference in London yesterday, Braverman said the group had been overlooked for decades despite experiencing severe educational and social disadvantages.
“I was really honoured to talk about the plight of white working-class children, in particular white working-class boys”, she said.
“They are the least privileged in our society; there’s no other way of putting it.”
Braverman pointed to poor academic attainment, unemployment and imprisonment as evidence that the current system was failing working-class boys.
“They have the worst educational outcomes in our country, and they’re more likely to end up as a NEET - that’s a young person who’s not in education, employment or training”, she told GB News.
“They’re more likely to end up in prison.”
She accused the establishment of turning “a blind eye” to the problem and argued that insufficient opportunities had been provided to white working-class children for decades.
Braverman said a Reform UK government would seek to expand technical and vocational education, as well as access to high-quality apprenticeships, to give young people a practical route into secure employment.
“They have been overlooked for years, but they are the path to self-sufficiency”, she said. “Getting a wage, getting a job, moving on in life, as opposed to being abandoned to the scrapheap.”
Braverman also argued that boys were being undermined by the culture promoted in some classrooms, accusing schools of teaching pupils that masculinity was “toxic” and that British patriotism was something to be ashamed of.
“We are demonising masculinity, and we are demonising patriotism”, she said.
As part of its response, Reform UK would introduce what Braverman described as a “patriotism curriculum”, oblige schools to fly the Union Jack and place greater emphasis on British history and culture.
She said the measures would help restore pride and aspiration among children who had been neglected by the current education system.
“And I believe that Reform UK can provide solutions to giving opportunity and hope to this underprivileged group in our society”, Braverman concluded.
Speaking in an interview with GB News at the CPAC GB conference in London yesterday, Braverman said the group had been overlooked for decades despite experiencing severe educational and social disadvantages.
“I was really honoured to talk about the plight of white working-class children, in particular white working-class boys”, she said.
“They are the least privileged in our society; there’s no other way of putting it.”
Braverman pointed to poor academic attainment, unemployment and imprisonment as evidence that the current system was failing working-class boys.
“They have the worst educational outcomes in our country, and they’re more likely to end up as a NEET - that’s a young person who’s not in education, employment or training”, she told GB News.
“They’re more likely to end up in prison.”
She accused the establishment of turning “a blind eye” to the problem and argued that insufficient opportunities had been provided to white working-class children for decades.
Braverman said a Reform UK government would seek to expand technical and vocational education, as well as access to high-quality apprenticeships, to give young people a practical route into secure employment.
“They have been overlooked for years, but they are the path to self-sufficiency”, she said. “Getting a wage, getting a job, moving on in life, as opposed to being abandoned to the scrapheap.”
Braverman also argued that boys were being undermined by the culture promoted in some classrooms, accusing schools of teaching pupils that masculinity was “toxic” and that British patriotism was something to be ashamed of.
“We are demonising masculinity, and we are demonising patriotism”, she said.
As part of its response, Reform UK would introduce what Braverman described as a “patriotism curriculum”, oblige schools to fly the Union Jack and place greater emphasis on British history and culture.
She said the measures would help restore pride and aspiration among children who had been neglected by the current education system.
“And I believe that Reform UK can provide solutions to giving opportunity and hope to this underprivileged group in our society”, Braverman concluded.
