Moment in history to combat educational inequalities in the North once and for all, Northern charity says

The coronavirus recovery should be used as a “moment in history” to empower and invest in devolution to combat the glaring generations of structural educational inequalities that start right from a child’s birth and is holding back the region’s communities, a leading Northern education charity has warned.
By Ruth Dacey
Published 24th Aug 2020, 06:00 BST
Updated 28th Aug 2020, 14:41 BST

Fiona Spellman, the chief executive of the Northern education charity SHINE, told The Yorkshire Post: “Education has to be absolutely central to the Government’s leveling up agenda because we know that regional inequalities in our country start very young before children begin school.

“We need to have a recognition that some of these regional disparities are long term in nature so they need long term solutions and long term solutions and long term thinking.

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“In a sense we have to think about the children and young people in the North of England now and ensure they get the best opportunities if we are really going to deliver on the Government’s agenda to level up opportunities across the country. We see education right from birth right through as being really central to that whole agenda.”

The recovery from the coronavirus should be used as a "moment in history" to combat educational inequalities in the North once and for all, a Northern charity says. Photo credit: PAThe recovery from the coronavirus should be used as a "moment in history" to combat educational inequalities in the North once and for all, a Northern charity says. Photo credit: PA
The recovery from the coronavirus should be used as a "moment in history" to combat educational inequalities in the North once and for all, a Northern charity says. Photo credit: PA

On Saturday, The Yorkshire Post reported on calls on the Government by northern education leaders to expand a pioneering educational scheme which has raised standards in three areas of Yorkshire across the whole of the North.

Read the full special Yorkshire Post education report here.Yorkshire leaders said the recovery from covid-19 should be used to place long-term investment into education and empowering more local communities across the North of England and Yorkshire, to fight against generational educational inequalities.

Speaking exclusively to the Yorkshire Post on Saturday, Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, said that without targeted investment, “we will see is another generation of children who fall behind, fall out of school, don’t reach their potential or indeed move out of the area to be able to take up opportunities elsewhere”.

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The leader of Leeds City Council, Judith Blake said: “Right across the North we are extremely concerned and we are particularly concerned that the Department for Education in a very centralised government system in England is probably the most centralised department of all.

Pictured, Fiona Spellman, the chief executive of the Northern education charity SHINE, photo credit: Jonathan Gawthorpe / JPImediaResellPictured, Fiona Spellman, the chief executive of the Northern education charity SHINE, photo credit: Jonathan Gawthorpe / JPImediaResell
Pictured, Fiona Spellman, the chief executive of the Northern education charity SHINE, photo credit: Jonathan Gawthorpe / JPImediaResell

“The argument from those areas that already have some form of devolutions and the areas that are moving towards it is that the Government needs to be far more open to our real experience and evidence that working on this agenda locally achieves far more of a sustainable outcome focused approach.”

Leaders in Yorkshire are lobbying for the Government to expand the pioneering ‘opportunity areas’ educational scheme which has raised standards in three areas of Yorkshire across the whole of the North.

Ms Spellman added: “It is about additional resource and the Government’s commitment to levelling up does have real quality financial backing but also that investment is targeted and spent in a way that can actually deliver change for children and for their families for whom levelling up remains more of an aspiration than a reality at the current time.”

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A spokesperson for the Department of Education said a 10-year rebuilding programme for schools all over England, with “substantial investment” in the North and the Midlands, had been announced.

Fiona Spellman, the chief executive of the Northern education charity SHINE said: “Education has to be absolutely central to the Government’s leveling up agenda because we know that regional inequalities in our country start very young before children begin school." Photo credit: Jonathan Gawthorpe / JPImediaResellFiona Spellman, the chief executive of the Northern education charity SHINE said: “Education has to be absolutely central to the Government’s leveling up agenda because we know that regional inequalities in our country start very young before children begin school." Photo credit: Jonathan Gawthorpe / JPImediaResell
Fiona Spellman, the chief executive of the Northern education charity SHINE said: “Education has to be absolutely central to the Government’s leveling up agenda because we know that regional inequalities in our country start very young before children begin school." Photo credit: Jonathan Gawthorpe / JPImediaResell

In addition, he said: “Every school will benefit from the second year of our school funding settlement, worth £14.4 billion over three years - the biggest increase in school funding in a decade.”

Read the full education report here._____________________________

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Pictured Judith Blake at a devolution photocall with the leaders of the local councils, Granary Wharf, Leeds. Leeds Photo credit: Simon Hulme/ JPIMediaResellPictured Judith Blake at a devolution photocall with the leaders of the local councils, Granary Wharf, Leeds. Leeds Photo credit: Simon Hulme/ JPIMediaResell
Pictured Judith Blake at a devolution photocall with the leaders of the local councils, Granary Wharf, Leeds. Leeds Photo credit: Simon Hulme/ JPIMediaResell
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