This summer produced another fantastic set of GCSE and A-Level results in South Tyneside.  Well done to all students in our area who have worked so hard to reach such outstanding levels of achievement this year. At A-Level, South Tyneside students achieved a strong set of results, with a pass rate of 97% at grades A-E. At GCSE level, schools in South Tyneside have reported results that are 11.8 per cent above the national average with 78.9 per cent of students gaining five good A* - C passes at GCSE level.  It has taken a great deal of effort and dedication, and I for one would like to offer my congratulations.

This year’s exam results are even more pleasing because South Tyneside is one of the most socially deprived areas in the country.  This summer’s results demonstrate that Labour’s record investment in education is paying off. We have doubled the investment in education and are now spending twice as much as the Tories did on each pupil and this will continue to rise. We now have over 39,000 more teachers and 174,000 more teaching assistants than in 1997. We do this quite simply because we believe that the best way for working class youngsters to succeed in life is through a first class education. 

Anyone old enough to remember life under the Tories will recall the crumbling schools which Labour inherited in 1997.  Labour is proud of its achievements over the past decade. For example, under the Building Schools for the Future programme, which will rebuild or redevelop every secondary school in South Tyneside, our schools will be unrecognisable from the days of neglected school buildings under Tory rule.  By 2013, all students will be able to study for a Diploma, which will offer young people practical, hands-on experience as well as classroom learning. And we will also see the first generation of school children starting secondary school who will be required to stay on in education or training until they are 17.

No doubt there will be comments that more young people succeeding must mean exams are getting easier. It is a lot of nonsense as we live in a completely different world today than the one we lived in 20 years ago. For example, more emphasis is placed on course work rather than the three hour exam at the end of term which a lot of us faced in the past. Nothing annoys me more than people who can’t give young people in South Tyneside and across the country the credit they deserve for their achievements.  

Overall, Labour has made big strides in education to reverse the neglect of the Tory years. We will not be complacent and we will continue to invest in education during these difficult economic times. Our aim is to provide all youngsters with the platform to realise their potential. This summer’s exam results are just reward for the hard work and excellent teaching in our local schools. Well done!