YP Comment: Progress at last on GCSE exams. Complacency is not an option

However the new Progress 8 benchmark, which measures pupils across a broader range of subjects and judges their performance over a number of years, does appear to be fairer because it does recognise and reward improvement on the part of those concerned.

It also offers encouragement to those teachers working tirelessly to assist disadvantaged pupils who were always, with the best will in the world, going to struggle to accrue five GCSEs – including English and maths – at Grade C or better.

Moving forward, it’s important that Education Secretary Justine Greening retains the new criteria – the constant moving of the goalposts is one reason why there is such a dearth of experienced teachers willing to work in those areas where under-performance has become a barrier to economic growth.

Yet, while the results of Yorkshire’s secondary schools are now in line with the national average, complacency must not be on the curriculum – too many youngsters complete their education without the skills and qualifications that they require to prosper in a global economy.

And this will not change until this region starts to receive the type of investment which was made available to London’s schools when their results hit rock bottom. If it’s good enough for the capital, fairness demands that such an approach is applied to Yorkshire and elsewhere. To her credit, Theresa May recognises the issue’s importance – her priority now is making her aspiration agenda work in practice when she is being pulled from pillar to post over Brexit.

Here we go again

IF politicians want to use referenda to determine constitutional issues, whether it be EU membership or Scottish independence, they, equally, have to accept the will of the people.

They can’t keep expecting the public to keep voting until the politicians get the results they want – just like the EU demanded of Ireland, and others, over the ratification of various treaties.

However the context is key to Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement that the Scottish Government will publish a Bill for a second independence referendum within days. She had to tell her party conference this, given that this issue is the party’s raison d’être.

Yet the fact of the matter is that enthusiasm was waned significantly since 2014 – projected revenues from North Sea oil have plummeted – and Ms Sturgeon is effectively putting down a marker ahead of Theresa May’s Brexit negotiations.

This distraction will only make it harder for Mrs May and her team to secure the best possible statement for the whole of the United Kingdom, an ambition that she set out on the steps of 10 Downing Street when she succeeded David Cameron and when she travelled to Edinburgh 48 hours later for talks with Ms Sturgeon.

The outcome of the June 23 referendum was binding on the whole country – that was made clear at the start of the process – and it’s time that the SNP accepted this or Mrs May might just have to respond by renegotiating the Barnett Formula which entitles Scottish people to more public funding than regions like Yorkshire.

Jess and her legacy

IT goes without saying that golden girl Jessica Ennis-Hill will be remembered as not just one of the greatest ever all-round athletes, but one of the most courageous, after battling back from injury heartache to win Olympic gold in 2012. Even though the 30-year-old’s triumphs and titles are too numerous to list, perhaps the greatest honour of all is the warmth of the messages of goodwill that immediately followed confirmation of the supermum’s retirement.

Not only did she command the respect of her rivals, but she sought to uphold the integrity of athletics, became a role model for women in sport and inspired a generation with her cheery demeanour, and will to win, after winning a second world title in 2015 just a year after giving birth to her son Reggie. This legacy should give Jess, her family and her coaches as much pleasure, and personal satisfaction, as that proud moment four years ago when she collected her Olympic gold medal after showing to the world Sheffield steel, and a winning smile, like no other in sport. Simply, she was 
the supreme sportswoman of her time.