Education is supposed to be the vehicle of social mobility through which our children can strive towards a good job and prosperous future. But despite Labour's claimed priority for education, under Gordon Brown disadvantage has become entrenched and the gap between rich and poor has widened.

New figures show that more than half of secondary schools in the most deprived areas of England are now officially classed as "failing". This Government is struggling to get anywhere near its own target for 30% of all secondary school pupils in England to gain five GCSEs at grade A* to C, including English and Maths by 2011. Only 45% of schools in the country's poorest areas achieved this 30% GCSE target in 2007.

Of the 259 schools in England's most deprived areas, 144 failed to reach the 30% target. In stark contrast; of the 304 schools in the country's wealthiest areas, just nine schools, or 3%, failed to achieve the target. Twelve local authorities saw fewer than a quarter of pupils even attempt English, Maths, Science and a Modern Language at GCSE.

Gordon Brown needs to wake up to the fact that his Government is failing disadvantaged families.

We believe that ensuring every child has an excellent education is the principal role the state can play in making opportunity more equal. Amongst Conservative proposals to target inequality are the introduction of a 'pupil premium' to increase funding for pupils from deprived backgrounds, whether urban or rural. This will provide an incentive for our New Academies, along with existing academies and other schools, to seek out pupils from less well-off families.