The key to closing big divide

Aug 18 2008 by Kevin Rowan, The Journal

THE hard work of teachers and students is unquestionably the key factor affecting the success in this year’s A-level results, the overall pass rate rising to 97.2%, with top A grades up to 25.9% of entries, from 25.3%.

The South East recorded the highest number of As, 29.1%, and the lowest number was found in the North East, at just under one in five of all entries. While an improvement in the numbers of high achievers, the increase of just 2.1% shows the lowest improvement across the English regions.

Mike Cresswell, director general of the AQA exam board, said the regional breakdown showed a “long-standing historical pattern”.

John Dunford, representing head teachers in the Association of School and College Leaders, asserted that the regional breakdown was merely a reflection of the socio-economic breakdown of the country.

While these views have some truth to them – the region has traditionally performed less well than other regions in A-levels, the better economically performing regions consistently doing better – it doesn’t change much to simply restate those observations, doing so, in fact, exhibits compliance with the status quo.

Within the North East, there is a clear recognition that schools and colleges have a significant role in changing the economic and social aspirations of the region.

Industry, especially key sectors like manufacturing, process and engineering, all expend resource and effort in bridging the gap between school and work, while the relatively new ‘schools forum’ established by One NorthEast, is an attempt to enable head teachers particularly to understand the future opportunities the region will have to offer.

These are positive measures, demonstrating the initiative and determination that exists within the North East not to accept the historic pattern.

One of the factors the commentary also focused on during last week’s results celebration/debate, was the influence of parents – the better the economic position of a family, the more likely children in that family are to do well.

Everyone in industry also understands that the better quality of education school leavers have impacts directly upon economic performance.

Supporting parents to help children more and increasing investment in schools and colleges in areas with the poorest economic performance, may be part of the key to closing the North-South divide.