I've been reading this report from Save the Children
The report, compiled for the Campaign to End Child Poverty places Reading 6th from bottom in England in terms of the GCSE performance of the poorest children. Less than a quarter of children entitled to free school meals get five or more good GCSEs in Reading, compared to more than half of similar children in top-performing boroughs such as Kingston Upon Thames.
These figures give the lie to Labour's boasts about Reading being a Learning City. It can be a great place to learn, but only if you are lucky enough to have wealthy parents and access to private tuition.
If one takes a look at the school performance in the town ( Download 2008_gcse_and_a_level_results.doc ) it's pretty clear that there is a real gap between the best schools (where everyone gets 5+ good GCSEs) and the others (where just over a third do).
We want a Government which will tackle the educational divide. Liberal Democrats would directly link funding to children from deprived areas, to make sure they get the increased and personal support they need.
If we are ever to get out of the cycle of low attainment leading to low expectations and poor health and life chances, then our poorest children have to be getting the best from our education system.
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