Give North’s schools London Challenge-style funding to end class divide – The Yorkshire Post says

Why do they think the number of students achieving A* and A grades in London exceeded the pass-rate in Yorkshire, and other regions, by such a large margin after nearly half of all A-Level entrants in the capital received top marks?

Prime Minister Theresa May’s successor warned: Power Up The North before it is too late

The answer is a simple one. This is one of the first age-groups to have completed their education, from primary school to sixth form, under the guise of the London Challenge. Set up in 2003 by New Labour, this was the pioneering policy that paved the way for record sums to be spent on school buildings, and teaching, after London found itself at the bottom of national league tables on academic attainment. Now it is a trailblazer.

YP Comment: The challenge facing schools. If it is good enough for London...

And as The Yorkshire Post extends its congratulations to A-Level students across the country, including London, for achieving a set of results that is a credit to their hard work, perseverance and resilience throughout the pandemic, this newspaper renews its call for this region’s schools to receive similar investment.

One of the key planks of the agenda-setting and award-winning Power Up The North campaign, comparable results can be achieved here – with far-reaching benefits for the economy, social mobility and levelling up – if the Government replicates the London Challenge.

In the meantime, it’s even more urgent that the Government signs off sufficient catch-up funding – the subject of continuing controversy – to ensure that many of the inequalities highlighted by this week’s results do not become even more pronounced. These are serious issues that neither Mr Williamson, or the Prime Minister, should be allowed to duck or dodge.

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