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Poverty, gender, location and ethnicity: Commission to examine educational gaps

An independent, cross-party commission, led by former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, is to investigate the “causes and effects” of inequality in education.

Reporting early next year, the commission is to examine a range of achievement gaps in education, including regional disparities, gaps between different ethnicities, and between disadvantaged students and their peers.

Launched by the Social Market Foundation (SMF), an independent think-tank, the inquiry will cover both primary and secondary education in England and Wales.

It comes as research released by the SMF to coincide with the commission’s launch concluded that regional inequalities in educational outcomes have “remained stubborn and in some cases worsened” in the last 30 years.

While London’s performance has surged, areas such as the North East, Yorkshire, Humber, and the Midlands have “persistently underperformed”.

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