UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has described the attainment gap facing white working-class pupils as a “national disgrace” and signalled a concerted government effort to reverse what she says is a long-standing pattern of under-achievement. Speaking ahead of Thursday’s A-level results day, Phillipson said too many young people are being “written off” before they reach further or higher education, and promised a detailed policy response in an education white paper due this autumn. Department for Education data underscore the scale of the problem: only 18.6% of white British pupils eligible for free school meals secured at least a grade 5 in both English and maths GCSEs last year, compared with 45.9% across all state-educated pupils. Phillipson indicated the forthcoming proposals will focus on raising attainment, expanding support for disadvantaged students and examining measures such as maintenance grants and university dropout rates. She added that universities and schools will be expected to strengthen support so that students from poorer backgrounds can progress and complete their studies.