Some more details of the Lib Dem Pupil Premium are coming out.

It means from September 2011 that schools that take disadvantages kids will get additional money they need to provide extra support that such kids need. It also means with this extra support such kids wont be holding back other kids from progressing. Win win all round. The headteachers will decide how to us this money – potentially 121 tuition, catch-up classes, whatever the head things best.

What I hadn’ realised was that this was one of the key sticking points when the Lib Dems were negotiating with Labour whether a joint coalition Lib Dem/Labour Government could be formed. Staggering. Of all the things to reject!

The Pupil Premium should go some way to addressing the unfairness of our education system. If you’re poor our education system is half as likely to help you gain 5 good GCSE’s as kids with non poor backgrounds. Breaking this glass ceiling will make Britain fairer and a more liberal society. Imagine all that talent held back for past decades.

I remember the infant, junior and comprehensive schools I went to. You didn’t mention the first two as it was socially embarrassing due to the poor results and resulting stigma – they’re still doing badly 35 years later. The comprehensive did an ok job by many but let down so many more challenging kids.

To break this cycle – that really would be transformational for our countries fortunes.

The quid pro quo from the Tories was the Academies Bill. This appears relatively low impacting on the national scale.