Results show that we are held back by inequality here

LAST week's A-level results were a reminder that, while the national economy is beginning to recover, our region is still being held back by deep-rooted inequality.

- DAVE PIKE

Across the UK, the proportion of students achieving top grades - A or A* - reached 28.3%, the highest since 2002 outside the pandemic years. But in the North East, the picture was far less encouraging. Our region not only ranked last, but saw the proportion of students hitting top grades fall by a full percentage point.

The gap between the North East and the highest-performing regions is not a reflection of the talent or dedication of our young people, nor the commitment of their teachers. It is a consequence of structural inequalities that have deepened over the 14 years of Tory rule. Austerity-era cuts hollowed out public services, reduced family incomes, and stripped away community support networks that help children thrive. In that time, education budgets were squeezed, youth services disappeared, and councils were forced to do more with far less.