City's education divide revealed (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Figures show how well-qualified a person is depends on where they live

8:40am Monday 19th October 2009 in Education By Ben Barnett

More than twice as many people in Shipley have a degree-level qualification than in Bradford North

The number of people with no qualifications is higher in three Bradford constituencies than the national average, according to new research.

An Education divide exists within the district, the University and College Union (UCU) has found.

About one in four people living in Bradford West has no qualifications, compared to one in ten in Shipley.

Meanwhile, more than a third of Shipley residents have at least a degree-level qualification compared to one in six in Bradford North.

More people in Bradford North, Bradford West and Keighley do not have qualifications, and those areas also have fewer people with degree-level qualifications than the national averages of 12.4 per cent and 29 per cent.

Bradford North MP Terry Rooney (Lab) challenged how his constituency fared so badly when 8,000 students a year took NVQs at Bradford College in addition to pupils who left school with GCSEs and A-levels.

“I find the 15 per cent [people with a degree-level qualification or above] very hard to believe,” he said. “I don’t think either figure is accurate, based on the fact that Bradford North is in the high 40 per cent of children leaving schools with five A-Cs. Fifteen per cent might surprise people because we have seen swathes of executive housing go up and other long-established high ranges of housing, most of which I’d expect are occupied by graduates.”

Bradford West MP Marsha Singh (Lab) said the statistics for his constituency did not come as a “complete surprise”.

“That doesn’t stop me being concerned about it though,” he said.

“These statistics are probably due to many children having poor English when they enter school and working very hard to catch up, which might not happen. It’s a matter for Bradford Council. The Government is giving the local authority substantial money for education.”

Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said: “The percentage of people with degrees and qualifications needs to rise urgently for the sake of all people in West Yorkshire.

“Education holds the key to improving social mobility, tackling poverty and extending opportunity for all. Yet, as this report shows, the current divide between the haves and have-nots is growing, with where you live largely determining your access to education.”

Last week, the Telegraph & Argus reported how Bradford had recorded its best provisional GCSE and A-level results, although they were still below the national average.

The delivery of education services in the district is being reviewed by a Bradford Council Programme Board as Serco’s ten-year contract comes to an end in July 2011.

Residents are urged to have their say on what they want from future arrangements by filling in a questionnaire.

e-mail: ben.barnett@telegraphandargus.co.uk

Qualifications map:

Percentage of people by constituency in Bradford with a degree-level qualification or above:

Shipley 34.45

Keighley 29

Bradford South 16.95

Bradford West 16.39

Bradford North 15.4

Percentage of people by constituency in Bradford with no qualifications:

Bradford West 25.68

Bradford North 22.07

Keighley 18.1

Bradford South 12.58

Shipley 10.90

University and College Union