GCSE students suffered a record fall in results today as exam marking returned for the first time since 2019, with 26.3 per cent achieving a grade 7/A or above. But pupils in London outperformed all other regions of England by a significant margin, with 32.6 per cent of all exams achieving that result, and the capital is pulling further ahead.
This is not only a credit to London students and teachers, but to the city’s education system as a whole. Two decades ago, we had some of the worst-performing schools in the country. But thanks in large part to the London Challenge, a school improvement programme launched in 2003 that focused on sharing good practice, London now has many of the best. Yet that is under threat.
Schoolchildren in the capital are at risk of being overlooked in government plans to “level up” education. Of the 55 “cold spots” to be in receipt of further investment and support, none of them are here. This is a direct threat to the dramatic improvement that our schools have delivered in the last 20 years.
Pockets of affluence in the capital should not be allowed to mask areas of real poverty and disadvantage. And the cost-of-living crisis will only exacerbate this, given the already high prices Londoners face.
We cannot go back. Instead, we must build upon London’s results, sharing best practice and spreading it across the country. Having endured years of lockdowns and disrupted learning, it is the least our young people deserve.
Civilians in firing line
Ukrainians were bracing themselves for further Russian attacks as they marked their independence day yesterday. These fears were grimly prescient, with 22 people — including an 11-year-old boy — killed in a Russian strike on a train station in Chaplyne in south-east Ukraine. Dozens more were injured.
Russia claims it does not target civilians but repeated atrocities tell a different story. It is why Ukrainian authorities had barred major events celebrating the 31st anniversary of the nation’s declaration of independence, over fears that Vladimir Putin and his army would target them.
Six months and a day on from the start of Russia’s “special military operation”, Ukrainians continue to show unshakeable resolve in the face of unspeakable horrors. And each appalling attack on civilian life only strengthens the determination of Britain, Nato and free people everywhere to ensure that future Ukrainian independence days will be celebrated in safety and liberty.
Sewage system stinks
As is demanded by the weather gods, a hosepipe ban is followed by a downpour. Despite this morning’s damp start, this August remains set to be one of the driest on record.
And as featured in today’s paper, the levels of our lakes and rivers are not the only issue. Its contents are critical too. The release of sewage is only meant to occur in exceptional circumstances yet due to poor infrastructure, some overflows are releasing sewage up to 200 times a year.
Some pollution is easy to ignore. Effluence on the beach less so. The Government must ensure the water companies, flush with cash and executive bonuses, invest in infrastructure so that daily discharges are put to a stop.
