Bridging the achievement gap

An educational policy centre that will focus on breaking the link between low educational achievement and poverty is to be launched at the University of Glasgow. The Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change will be formally unveiled by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Russell MSP, who will also deliver a keynote address at the University of Glasgow on Tuesday 5 November 2013. The Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change, though rooted in Scotland, will work with academics and policy makers from around the world to research and develop policies that will improve the life chances of young people from whatever social or economic background they come from. Research from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development identified concerns relating to the achievement gap in Scotland, suggesting that the gap opens up in primary education, widens through secondary education and leads to inequitable participation in higher education. This challenge is not simply an urban issue but one that crosses a range of communities and regions and is as significant in rural areas as in cities. Professor Christopher Chapman, the Director of the new centre said, "The launch of the Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change is a significant milestone not just in terms of Scotland, but it should be seen as a major step forward in international thinking and best practice. Now, more than ever, is a critical time for education policy.