Social mobility tsar Katharine Birbalsingh says Boris Johnson is a foul position mannequin for kids

The federal government’s social mobility tsar has claimed that Boris Johnson just isn’t a very good position mannequin for kids due to his private life, his hair and his lack of professionalism.   

Katharine Birbalsingh, who was beforehand dubbed Britain’s strictest headmaster, was requested whether or not she believes that the Prime Minister is somebody kids ought to look as much as. 

Nonetheless, she stated his behaviour makes her ‘elevate an eyebrow’, explaining: ‘No, I do not assume so. I want he may very well be however he is not and that may be a bit unhappy. I like Boris, I do not assume he is a foul man, however I do not know sufficient about what he is bought as much as. I don’t assume that he’s a very good position mannequin for kids.’

When requested to clarify her ideas, she added: ‘Properly his private life as an illustration, that does make me elevate an eyebrow. 

‘The opposite day I noticed an image of him and I checked out his hair and I assumed, oh my goodness. We count on our kids to have skilled wanting hair and I checked out his hair, and I assumed, ;Gosh, I could not put him up on the wall and say, let’s all have hair cuts like him’. 

‘Now, you may assume that is a bit pedantic and that is a bit foolish, but it surely is not really, I believe, for our kids. It is essential to look skilled. And generally Boris seems to be skilled, however generally he isn’t skilled sufficient for me. Put it that manner.’

In response, faculties minister Robin Walker stated kids must be taught about Mr Johnson’s ‘phenomenal resilience’ by the pandemic and praised his communication expertise. 

Mr Walker stated Miss Birbalsingh was ‘entitled to her opinion’ however disagreed.

He stated: ‘I believe really anybody who leads this nation is a task mannequin – somebody that kids can look as much as.

‘The Prime Minister has proven phenomenal resilience by the Covid pandemic and management, and I believe that is one thing that kids ought to study in faculties.

‘He is additionally a terrific communicator, and one of many issues that we search to show in all of our faculties is communication – literacy by nice speech and language.

‘So there’s a lot for individuals to look as much as in that respect.’

When requested about Mr Johnson being fined for breaking his personal lockdown guidelines, he added: ‘I believe the Prime Minister has accepted the issues for which he has apologised.

‘And it is fairly proper that he ought to try this in that respect as nicely.

‘I believe it is essential that kids perceive the significance of acknowledging once you’ve bought issues incorrect.

‘He is additionally somebody who has taken the massive calls, taken nice choices in the long term and I believe that is why the social gathering has been behind him after we had this vote of confidence earlier within the week.’

Miss Birbalsingh additionally raised eyebrows yesterday when she criticised Britain’s obsession with a ‘Dick Whittington mannequin’ of seeing individuals rise from poverty to nice riches in a technology, and stated some individuals ought to set their sights decrease.

She stated she believes coverage makers have been too preoccupied with ‘the one that is born right into a household in social housing and turns into a banker or CEO’.

It has meant creating an ‘elite pathway for the few’ quite than making a broader system that permits extra individuals not fitted to greater training to enhance their lives, however in ‘smaller steps’.

Miss Birbalsingh, who chairs the Social Mobility Fee, stated modest achievements – reminiscent of a ‘postman’s son changing into a department supervisor’ – must also obtain consideration.

In a speech to the Coverage Trade assume tank at the moment, she cited the Dick Whittington folks story of a person who leaves poverty in Lancashire and walks – accompanied by a cat – to London, the place he makes his fortune. 

The feted headteacher stated: ‘We need to transfer away from the notion that social mobility ought to simply be in regards to the lengthy upward mobility from the underside to the highest, i.e. the one that was born right into a household in social housing after which turns into an accountant or a banker or a giant CEO.

‘There may be nothing incorrect with that view of social mobility however it isn’t sufficient.

‘We need to promote a broader view of social mobility for a wider vary of people that need to enhance their lives, generally in smaller steps.

‘This implies the way to enhance alternatives for these on the backside, not simply making elite pathways for a number of however by enthusiastic about those that would in any other case be left behind. Those that both didn’t need to or couldn’t ”depart to attain”.’   

Ms Birbalsingh, is called a ‘super-head’ who based Michaela Neighborhood Faculty in Wembley, north London, which has wonderful outcomes regardless of having a disadvantaged consumption.

She has been influential in Tory circles since successful a standing ovation on the Conservative Social gathering convention after she delivered a damning indictment of ‘completely chaotic’ state faculties in 2010.

The previous Marxist turned conservative was the shock star when she laid naked an training system wherein kids had been ‘misplaced in a sea of paperwork’.

Miss Birbalsingh argued that social mobility just isn’t getting worse and that the image is extra ‘advanced’.

The most recent evaluation from the SMC reveals that occupational mobility has been steady or bettering barely for many years.

She was appointed because the chair of the fee in 2021 and is understood for making controversial feedback.

In April, she was urged to apologise for telling a Authorities committee that women didn’t take up A-level physics as a result of they disliked ‘onerous maths’.

She has additionally championed strict approaches to self-discipline reminiscent of silent corridors in faculties and a marketing campaign towards cellphones for toddle

The straight-talking headteacher was made chairwoman of the Authorities’s Social Mobility Fee in October final yr after repeatedly utilizing her platform as Britain’s most excessive profile faculty chief to assault ‘woke tradition’ damaging Britain and its training system. She gained a CBE in 2020.

She has additionally talked repeatedly in regards to the significance of household in training, and the necessity for conventional values reminiscent of consuming along with your kids every night time.

In 2010, Ms Birbalsingh advised delegates at a Tory social gathering convention that academic requirements have been ‘so dumbed down that even the academics understand it’ and that faculties are certain by too many targets that forestall them from educating correctly.

She has since spoken out towards faculties educating about ‘white privilege’, saying it provides black British kids the impression that the training system and society is pitted towards them.

In June final yr, she stated academics ought to keep away from speaking about race to college students and keep on with ‘educating them maths and English’.

Ms Birbalsingh stated the key to success for a kid of ‘any color’ is to have a household that helps their training, makes them do their homework and can drive them ‘off their telephones’.