Cities divided by ‘educational inequality’

The study highlights major differences in the numbers of people with no formal qualifications in different areas of Leeds and Sheffield.

The report by the University and College Union (UCU) which measures academic success of residents in every Parliamentary constituency also shows that Bradford West has the third highest level of people aged 16 to 64 with no qualifications.

Almost one-in-three people of working age there have no academic qualifications at all.

People living in Sheffield Heeley are more than twice as likely as people living in Nick Clegg’s Sheffield Hallam constituency to have no qualifications, according to the UCU report. Around one-in-five people in Sheffield Heeley have no qualifications compared with one in 11 in Hallam.

In Leeds Central 17 per cent of people have no qualifications while in Leeds North West only 2.7 per cent lack formal qualifications – making it the fifth highest qualified constituency in the country.

All three of Hull’s parliamentary constituencies were below the national average, which is 11.3 per cent.

People living in Hull are said to be four times more likely to have no qualifications than those living in Haltemprice and Howden.

Bradford East has the second highest level of people in the region without a qualification.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: “There is a real danger that children growing up in places where it is not unheard of to have no qualifications will have their ambition blunted and never realise their full potential.”