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Brown focusing on social mobility Brown focusing on social mobility
(about 8 hours later)
Gordon Brown is to set out his vision of increasing fairness and social mobility, in what Downing Street says is a major policy speech. Gordon Brown has said low-income parents who take action to support their child's development will be eligible for a £200 grant.
Parents who agree to options such as treating children with behavioural difficulties or accepting free childcare places will receive £200. The one-off payment is part of the PM's vision of increasing fairness and social mobility, in what Downing Street describes as a major policy speech.
There will also be pilot schemes to help to tackle child poverty. There will also be pilot schemes to help tackle child poverty.
The prime minister is expected to say that speeding up social mobility in the years ahead is "the highest priority". Mr Brown said speeding up social mobility and educational performance was "the highest priority".
But he will stress that the government's plans will only succeed if people make the most of the opportunities available to them and "participate fully in shaping the future". Mr Brown said the Child Development Grants would be an incentive for parents to attend and take up services in children's centres, while their children were very young.
"Social mobility starts with parents wanting their children to do better than they did themselves," Mr Brown will say. Skills boost
"But it cannot be achieved without people themselves adopting the work ethic, the learning ethic, and aiming high." During his speech he stressed that the government's plans would only succeed if people made the most of the opportunities available to them and "participate fully in shaping the future".
Personal experiences He will make £5m available to provide financial incentives for both parents to work, because research suggests that children are 60% less likely to be in poverty when both parents have jobs.
BBC political correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti said Mr Brown was expected to adopt a personal tone to his speech, describing himself as "a child of the first great wave of post-war social mobility". We must set a national priority to aggressively and relentlessly develop the potential of the British people Gordon Brown
He will add, however, that these advances stalled in the 1970s and 1980s, with a "lost generation" of "Thatcher's children" subsequently left behind. A further £7.6m will be used to create 30 children's centres across 10 local authorities to help parents with training and work experience to boost their skills and help them into work.
It is the great test of our time: to build a fairer, more prosperous and upwardly mobile Britain Gordon Brown And up to £10m will be invested in helping mothers in London overcome high childcare and transport costs which act as "particular barriers" to their return to work.
But he will also say that while progress has been made since then, background and class are still a major determinant of how well people do. Ministers will also unveil a £12.75m series of schemes to combat child poverty - including grants of about £200 for low-income parents if they take up childcare places and do more to support their families' development.
He will outline plans to try to improve social mobility, including better provision for the under-fives, plus greater support for families and young adults. 'Work ethic'
Injustice must be tackled, prejudice and discrimination removed and children's aspirations raised, the prime minister is to add. And at least £20m will be available through local authority grants to tackle the causes of child poverty, particularly in remote rural areas and deprived inner city communities.
Ministers will also unveil a series of schemes to combat child poverty - including grants of about £200 for low-income parents in 10 local authorities if they do more to support their families' development. "Social mobility usually starts with parents wanting their children to do better than they did themselves," Mr Brown said.
"It is the great test of our time: to build a fairer, more prosperous and upwardly mobile Britain," Mr Brown will say. "But it cannot be achieved without the young people themselves adopting the work ethic, the learning ethic, and aiming high."
'Problem of fairness'
The Sutton Trust, which funds projects that provided educational opportunities for children from underprivileged backgrounds, has previously said the government's education policy failed to give poorer children the chance to improve quality of life.
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A study conducted for the trust last year found that children born in the 1950s had a better chance of escaping poverty than those born in 1970. Mr Brown described himself as "a child of the first great wave of post-war social mobility" but said that these advances stalled in the 1970s and 1980s, with a "lost generation" subsequently left behind.
The report concluded that the decline in social mobility seen during the 1970s and 1980s has now flattened off, but shows no sign of reversing. He outlined plans to try to improve social mobility, including better provision for the under-fives, plus greater support for families and young adults.
Injustice must be tackled, prejudice and discrimination removed and children's aspirations raised, the prime minister added.
He said Britain had to be "far more upwardly mobile", adding: "At its core, this is a great moral endeavour."
And he said changes in the wider global economy, which would open up "potentially unlimited opportunities", meant "we must set a national priority to aggressively and relentlessly develop the potential of the British people".
The Sutton Trust, which funds projects that provide educational opportunities for children from underprivileged backgrounds, has previously said the government's education policy fails to give poorer children the chance to improve quality of life.
A study conducted for the trust last year concluded that the decline in social mobility seen during the 1970s and 1980s has now flattened off, but shows no sign of reversing.
Speaking at the time of the Sutton Trust's report, Conservative leader David Cameron said there was "a problem of fairness" in the UK.Speaking at the time of the Sutton Trust's report, Conservative leader David Cameron said there was "a problem of fairness" in the UK.
Social mobility is an urgent issue for the government, given the widespread predictions that it will miss its target of halving child poverty by 2010.