Mercy Muroki: Katherine Birbalsingh appointment as Social Mobility Commissioner is a 'victory'

Katharine Birbalsingh, a woman once dubbed ‘Britain’s strictest headteacher’ has been appointed as the government’s new Social Mobility Commissioner.

The Social Mobility Commission is an independent body responsible for researching, promoting, and advising ministers on social mobility in England. A body which is – in a post-levelling up, post-pandemic world - arguably more important than ever before.

Now, there are not many cultural victories these days for those of us who like good old common sense. Those who have been swept up by the wave of woke and now find their common sense lost at sea seem to have the tide turn in their favour far too often.

Whether that's by successfully getting people cancelled for views they disagree with, imposing new ideologies on all of us as if they're accepted wisdom, or just generally dominating every inch of arts and academia.

But every so often, there is a glimmering light of hope – a small victory in the cultural battlefield we find ourselves in, but a victory nonetheless.

And Birbalsingh's appointment, I believe, is one such victory. But not just for those who don’t want the toxic ideologies of identity politics infiltrating every corner of society… but, more importantly, for millions of children across the country.

Bibalsignh came to national prominence when a decade ago she delivered a speech at the Conservative Party conference in which she criticized the education system for ‘keeping poor children poor’.

She condemned a "culture of excuses, of low standards", "the chaos of our classrooms" and a "sea of bureaucracy". She was then shunned and attacked by many in the teaching profession and effectively pushed out of her job – she said giving the speech ruined her life.

But, in 2014, she fought detractors and set up the Michaela free school in north-west London – a school which has since been deemed ‘controversial’ and labelled ‘the strictest school in Britain’.

Why? Because Birbalsingh dares enforce high educational standards. Because she refuses to encourage children to see themselves as victims. Because she expects her students to have high expectations for themselves. Results speak for themselves.

Michaela’s results rank amongst the best in the country. Over half of its GCSE results are grade A and above – more than double the UK as a whole. More than 8 in 10 of it’s A Level students have gone on to Russell Group Unis.

Not only does the school have an overall rating of outstanding by the schools inspector Ofsted – a feat managed by less than 1 in 5 schools - but it is rated ‘outstanding’ in all areas Ofsted examined.

Birbalsingh has proven the naysayers wrong all whilst transforming the lives of disadvnatgaed children in the most profound way. Those ideologues on the left will decry this appointment – they’ll denounce it as a dark day for social mobility, a tragedy for children the country over.

I say: the only tragedy is that not every single child in this country is lucky enough to be educated by educators Birbalsingh. This appointment gives me hope that the fight against the poverty of ambition and the culture of low expectation for our children is not yet lost.