Mayor Claire demands action on East Midlands education crisis

The Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, is calling on the Government to address the stark educational disparities facing the region – and has promised to play a leading role in bringing key organisations together to take urgent actions to address the challenges young people in the East Midlands face. In a letter to the Education Secretary, Mayor Claire has highlighted the concerning statistics from the latest GCSE and A Level results, which position the East Midlands at the bottom of the national league tables, with particularly worrying trends in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Fewer than one in five pupils in the East Midlands achieved a good grade in their GCSEs, placing the region seventh out of nine across the country. The results are further compounded by the significant gap in university admissions, where areas such as Ashfield see only 22% of 18-year-olds go on to sixth form and college, compared to a national average of 35%. In stark contrast, nearly half of young people in similarly deprived areas of London go on to university.

With businesses across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire struggling to recruit skilled workers, the Mayor highlighted the importance of improving educational outcomes as a foundation for future economic growth. She pointed out that while local employers are eager to offer apprenticeships and vocational training, they require a workforce that has received a strong foundational education.

Mayor Claire Ward said: “The disparities in educational attainment between regions is totally unacceptable. There is no reason why young people in the East Midlands should have fewer opportunities than those in other parts of the country. We’ve got to address the barriers that are holding our region back.

“The skills gap is a persistent challenge for businesses in our region. We have some incredible employers who can offer fantastic career opportunities, but not if our young people are entering the workforce with lower qualifications than their peers across the country.”

In her letter to Bridget Phillipson MP, Mayor Claire proposed a collaborative approach to addressing these issues, including a potential meeting with key educational leaders in the East Midlands to develop strategies for closing the attainment gap. She also expressed her willingness to discuss the matter further with government officials in Westminster.

As the first Mayor of the East Midlands Combined County Authority, Claire Ward is determined to advocate for the changes needed to ensure that young people in the East Midlands are given the same opportunities as those in other regions.