Lewis Hamilton meets Sir Keir Starmer over education reform: ‘School failed me’
Lewis Hamilton met with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday to discuss education reform as the seven-time Formula 1 world champion continues to strive for change through his Mission 44 project.
Hamilton, who is sixth in this year’s championship with Ferrari, sat on a roundtable with Starmer and Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson at 10 Downing Street to talk through how the UK government can better support schools and raise standards for pupils.
The 40-year-old set up his own charitable foundation, Mission 44, in 2021 in a bid to drive change so that every young person can thrive in school, having previously admitted his own struggles in the education system.
Hamilton opened up on Thursday about his motivation after school “failed” him.
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“I’m so encouraged and so grateful that the government is engaged and committed to pushing for change,” Hamilton said in a talk alongside Starmer. “But this is a time where we have to convert words into action.
“That’s ultimately why I created Mission 44 because perhaps very similar to [others in the room], I’ve come through a normal working-class family, I’ve gone through a normal school education and ultimately it failed me. I was expelled and cast aside.
“I see, 25 years later, it’s still happening.
“There’s a lot of work to do but this is just the beginning.”
Hamilton added: “I struggled in school and never felt like my voice was heard, that’s why I know first-hand that ensuring every student feels they belong in school is vital.
“I’m grateful that off the back of this meeting, the government has committed to working with Mission 44 to enact change focused on making the education system more inclusive. I’m so proud of how far Mission 44 has come in such a short space of time and the opportunity we have to transform the lives of vulnerable students across the country.”
Following the roundtable, the UK government has made three broad pledges; create a national best practice framework, amplify the voices of young people, and support teachers of all backgrounds into the classroom.
Starmer said: “My brother had a different story to tell [to me]. He really struggled at school — and had difficulties learning, not because of a learning difficulty, but because then in his time he was pushed to one side and treated as someone who would never learn.
“He struggled a lot as a result of that. You might think someone who sits here as Prime Minister has no idea what it’s like to struggle at school but I know from my own brother what it was like, and how much resilience and personal courage he had to have.
“I will take away the work that Lewis is doing. The importance of your discussions — whether in this advisory or elsewhere — so that we have got you in our mind’s eye when we make decisions about what to do. So let’s get on with it.
“The question we really want to discuss in this session is how can we make sure all young people are supported to succeed at school?”
Hamilton finished sixth in last Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix. The F1 season continues with its 10th round, the Canadian GP, on June 13-15.
Source: espn.com