Class divides
THERE is usually a depressing familiarity about education league tables. Even though their purpose is to identify excellence and weaknesses, Yorkshire traditionally languishes at the bottom of the class. The same with truancy – this region's record remains the worst in the country. And the same with the battle between the sexes: new data, once again, shows boys lagging behind girls.
This age-old problem has perplexed politicians for decades. The coalition Government is no exception. Unlike its predecessors, however, it does appear to recognise the importance of early years education, with Nick Gibb, the Schools Minister, accepting that "getting the fundamentals right is crucial to a child's success".
The problem, from Mr Gibb's perspective, is that Labour failed to meet this objective when education spending reached record levels – witness the number of pupils who leave primary school unable to read or write. The Minister's challenge is to demonstrate how the much-vaunted pupil premium, and other measures, will rectify this failure when school budgets are being contracted. He has much to prove.