KATE OSBORNE: This Government is failing our kids in the North East

​This month the students receiving their GCSE and A Level results were once again let down by this Government. Overall the exam results show just how badly this Government is failing our kids in the North East.

Students in the North East achieved the lowest combined number of GCSE exams in the top-grade boundaries in the country.

The Gap between the North East and London has once again widened, whilst 28.4% of GCSE entries in London were awarded a grade 7 or above this year, only 17.6% of entries in the North East achieved this.

In terms of A-Levels, the Government has disgracefully held back students, insisting on changing to a harsh grading system has led to the pass rate hitting its lowest level for 15 years. A drop in the proportion of A and A* grades awarded by 17% - a massive 73,0000 fewer A grades given than last year.

On top of this, the gap between North and South for top grade A levels is 8.3% - a double whammy for students in the North East.

This harsh system isn't being enforced in Wales and Northern Ireland and has in turn led to fewer people being accepted into university.

This Government are overseeing the managed decline of education in the North East. These results are once again exposing how little they care about our Northern communities and their empty rhetoric on levelling up.

Students across the Jarrow constituency and the wider North East region are regularly being let down by this government.

They are more likely to live in fuel and food poverty and this understandably has a direct impact on their ability to learn.

Despite all this, the amount of young people achieving top GCSE grades in the North East increased. Congratulations to all who have worked hard on their exams. With the added stress of their education being hindered by the pandemic and a huge well done for overcoming these additional structural barriers this Government have forced you to jump.

Criticism of this Government for letting down our northern communities should not take away from the efforts and achievements of our young people.

This Government don’t even achieve the lowest grade, it’s not just a must try harder, we need a systematic change and a change of Government.

We are going backwards in terms of social mobility and the North/South divide is widening.

We need a Government that cares about our children’s education and futures.

We need a Labour Government that will start to clean up the mess these Tories have made not just in education but everywhere.