Starmer pledge on divide in education

IN his first media interview of what will surely be a turbulent year, Keir Starmer this week vowed no child in the North of England will be left behind as he set his sights on inequalities plaguing schools.

- ROB PARSONS

Speaking to the Mirror's Lizzy Buchan at Downing Street, the Prime Minister said he wanted to wipe out the North-South divide in education in England which has seen a deepening gulf in pupils getting the top grades.

An already-worrying attainment gap has widened since the pandemic, seemingly driven by the numbers of long-term disadvantaged families outside London and the South East.

Four out of five regions in the North and Midlands had a lower GCSE pass rate in 2024 than in 2019 - but performance improved in every region across the South.

The PM told Lizzy: "I'm very concerned about the disparity. I am absolutely determined that every single child, whatever their background or wherever they come from, gets the same life chances.