Gannon University joins community members for Day of Caring workday
Students, faculty, and staff at Gannon University joined the community for their Day of Caring workday.
Erie County United hosts town hall meeting to discuss housing issues
Volunteers were cleaning up streets, picking up litter, doing gardening work and more.
Over 400 students signed up early that morning and were spread throughout Erie doing what they could for the community.
Local kids learn all about agriculture at North East's annual Community Agra Fun Day
'Gannon University is a part of the community and we're only as strong as our community and its living out our mission so this is what gannon university is all about we are engaged in trying to develop socially responsible students and so giving back to the community is a way to do that and a way to engage them in that process,' said Dr. Sarah Ewing, provost and vice president for student experience at Gannon University.
The general public was also able to join Gannon in their efforts.
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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Record A-level results but concerns raised about ‘entrenched' regional divides
A-level grades have exposed stark divides in results between regions, prompting fears about 'entrenched' inequalities across England. While the overall proportion of entries awarded top grades rose again this year – remaining above pre-pandemic highs – a breakdown shows attainment gaps are widening across some areas of the country. North-east England saw just 22.9% of entries awarded an A or A* grade this year, a record 9.2 percentage points behind London (32.1%), and the only region to see a lower figure than in the pre-pandemic year of 2019. The Education Secretary called the 'entrenched divide' in outcomes and the lack of progress for white working-class children 'concerning'. Education experts suggested that differences in A-level results, which are having an impact on university access, are a symptom of poverty and problems outside the school gates, which mean children's life chances are being determined 'more by their postcode than their potential'. Overall, 28.3% of UK entries were awarded an A or A* grade, up by 0.5 percentage points on last year, when 27.8% achieved the top grades. This was higher than in 2019, the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic, when 25.4% of entries were awarded A or A* grades. It is the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22, according to the figures from the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Boys outperformed girls in terms of top A-level grades for the first time in seven years. As results were published, separate Ucas figures showed the number of applicants accepted on to UK degree courses has risen to a record high. The higher education admissions service said 82% of UK 18-year-old applicants awaiting a decision on results day secured their first choice. But Ucas data showed regional disparities remain in university access, with the gap between north-east England and London at the highest on record. Overall, 24.9% of 18-year-olds from north-east England secured a university place on results day, compared with 43.4% of 18-year-olds from London. The gap is now 18.5 percentage points, up from 17.3 percentage points last year and 11.9 percentage points in 2019. At A-level, the A*-A gap between the highest performing region, London, and the lowest, north-east England, is now at its widest since the current system of grading was introduced, according to figures from England's exams regulator Ofqual. Some 32.1% of entries in the capital were awarded A or A* this year, the highest for any region in England and up from 31.3% in 2024. North-east England had the lowest regional percentage this year at 22.9%, down from 23.9% in 2024. It means the gap between these two regions now stands at 9.2 percentage points, up from 7.4 points last year and the largest since the present system of grading began in 2010, according to analysis by the PA news agency. North-east England is one of just two regions to see a year-on-year drop in entries receiving top grades, the other is West Midlands (down from 24.8% to 24.2%). Bridget Phillipson said: 'Every single young person collecting their results today should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, whether that starts with further study, university, an apprenticeship or the world of work, but too often, opportunities depend on background rather than talent. 'The entrenched divide in outcomes seen over the last few years and the lack of progress for children from white working-class backgrounds is particularly concerning.' On A-level results day, Ms Phillipson said Government education reforms will ensure that all young people are 'truly ready for life and work'. Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, said: 'In too many parts of the country, children are arriving at school hungry, anxious and facing the grinding effects of poverty outside the school gates— poor housing, insecure work, a lack of local services. 'Inside the school gates, overstretched schools struggle to meet rising needs. 'Until we tackle these inequities both inside and outside the classroom, we will continue to see children's life chances determined more by their postcode than their potential.' He added: 'These results expose an education system of entrenched regional divides. 'It is a stark reminder that where you grow up still shapes your life chances.' Mr Elliot Major called for a 'region-first approach' to tackling divides that invests in schools and colleges outside London, addresses poverty in places where it 'hits most', and attracts and retains teachers in 'struggling areas'. Chris Zarraga, director of Schools North East, said: 'North East students have done brilliantly again this year, but the structural gap between our region and London has grown yet again. This is not about school quality. 'Every August, our students prove their talent and determination. But we cannot keep pretending the North East–London gap is about standards. It is about deep-rooted structural inequalities that no government has seriously addressed. 'Without urgent, sustained action to tackle them, the gap will keep widening and it will not be because our students or teachers are any less capable.' Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said the widening gap needs closer investigation. He said: 'This regional disparity has grown over the past decade, and the reasons need to be properly understood if they are to be tackled. 'This could range from differences in the impact of Covid and the cost-of-living crisis, to specific areas of poverty and varying investment into education, health, social care and other support services and infrastructure in the London and the South compared to the North.' Mr Whiteman added that similar data needed to be collected for vocational technical qualifications (VTQs) 'to build a complete picture of the situation'. JCQ's figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland show overall pass rate – the proportion of entries graded A* to E – has also risen to 97.5% this year, which is up on last year (97.2%) and the pre-pandemic year of 2019 (97.6%). Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator of Ofqual, told the PA news agency that the standard of work required to achieve grades has 'held constant' since 2023. He said any changes were because a 'smaller, smarter cohort' of students had sat their A-level exams this year compared to previous years. The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in top grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams. This cohort of school and college leavers received their GCSE results in 2023, the first year that grading was returned to pre-pandemic levels in England. In Wales and Northern Ireland, exam regulators returned to pre-pandemic grading in 2024, a year later than in England. More than 250,000 Level 3 VTQ results have also been awarded to UK students by the JCQ this year. In England, 11,909 students received their T-level results in the fourth year that the qualification has been awarded, and 91.4% achieved at least a pass. Scotland has a different qualification system and students received their results on Tuesday last week.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Record gap in A-level top grades between London and north-east England
The gap between the proportion of A-level entries in London awarded the highest grades and those in north-east England is at its widest since the current system of grading was introduced, the 2025 exam figures show. Some 32.1% of entries in the capital were awarded A or A* this year, the highest for any region in England and up from 31.3% in 2024. By contrast, north-east England had the lowest regional percentage this year at 22.9%, down from 23.9% in 2024. The gap between these two regions now stands at 9.2 percentage points, up from 7.4 points last year and the largest since the present system of grading began in 2010, according to analysis by the PA news agency. North-east England is one of just two regions to see a year-on-year drop in entries receiving top grades, the other being West Midlands (down from 24.8% to 24.2%). It is also the only region where the proportion of entries awarded A or A* this year, 22.9%, is lower than the equivalent figure in the pre-pandemic year of 2019 (23.0%). For entries receiving the top grade of A*, London again had the highest proportion (11.6%, up from 11.3%) and north-east England the lowest (6.8%, down from 7.8%). The gap here of 4.8 percentage points is wider than in 2024 (3.5 points) but not as large as during the pandemic, when it reached 6.8 points in 2021. North-east England and the West Midlands are the only regions to see a year-on-year fall in entries receiving A*. By contrast, all regions reported a year-on-year increase in the proportion of entries awarded a grade C or higher, with London and south-east England almost tied on the highest percentage (79.54% and 79.45% respectively) and the East Midlands having the lowest (73.6%). At a national level, 30.4% of entries in Northern Ireland received A or A*, higher than the equivalent figure for Wales (29.5%) and England (28.2%). For entries awarded C or above, Northern Ireland was ahead at 85.8%, above England (77.7%) and Wales (77.2%). Here are the percentages of A-level entries awarded the top grade of A* by nation and region in 2025, with the equivalent figures for both 2024 and the pre-pandemic year of 2019: – North-east England 6.8% (2024: 7.8%; 2019: 6.7%)– North-west England 8.3% (2024: 8.0%; 2019: 6.9%)– Yorkshire & the Humber 7.7% (2024: 7.4%; 2019: 6.5%)– West Midlands 7.4% (2024: 7.9%; 2019: 6.3%)– East Midlands 7.4% (2024: 6.8%; 2019: 5.8%)– Eastern England 9.3% (2024: 9.1%; 2019: 7.9%)– South-west England 8.9% (2024: 8.8; 2019: 8.0%)– South-east England 11.0% (2024: 10.9%; 2019: 9.0%)– London 11.6% (2024: 11.3%; 2019: 8.7%)– England 9.4% (2024: 9.3%; 2019: 7.7%)– Wales 10.5% (2024: 10.1%; 2019: 8.9%)– Northern Ireland 8.7% (2024: 8.2%; 2019: 8.0%)– All 9.4% (2024: 9.3%; 2019: 7.7%) Here are the percentages of A-level entries awarded A or A*, by nation and region: – North-east England 22.9% (2024: 23.9%; 2019: 23.0%)– North-west England 26.6% (2024: 25.5%; 2019: 23.5%)– Yorkshire & the Humber 25.3% (2024: 24.6%; 2019: 23.2%)– West Midlands 24.2% (2024: 24.8%; 2019: 22.0%)– East Midlands 23.8% (2024: 22.5%; 2019: 21.0%)– Eastern England 28.0% (2024: 27.5%; 2019: 25.6%)– South-west England 27.0% (2024: 26.9%; 2019: 25.8%)– South-east England 31.2% (2024: 30.8%; 2019: 28.3%)– London 32.1% (2024: 31.3%; 2019: 26.9%)– England 28.2% (2024: 27.6%; 2019: 25.2%)– Wales 29.5% (2024: 29.9%; 2019: 26.5%)– Northern Ireland 30.4% (2024: 30.3%; 2019: 29.4%)– All 28.3% (2024: 27.8%; 2019: 25.4%) Here are the percentages of A-level entries awarded C or above, by nation and region: – North-east England 74.9% (2024: 74.4%; 2019: 76.3%)– North-west England 78.2% (2024: 75.9%; 2019: 75.6%)– Yorkshire & the Humber 76.8% (2024: 74.4%; 2019: 74.7%)– West Midlands 74.2% (2024: 73.4%; 2019: 72.8%)– East Midlands 73.6% (2024: 71.8%; 2019: 73.0%)– Eastern England 77.8% (2024: 76.1%; 2019: 75.7%)– South-west England 77.3% (2024: 76.3%; 2019: 76.0%)– South-east England 79.45% (2024: 78.1%; 2019: 78.0%)– London 79.54% (2024: 77.5%; 2019: 74.8%)– England 77.7% (2024: 76.0%; 2019: 75.5%)– Wales 77.2% (2024: 76.5%; 2019: 76.3%)– Northern Ireland 85.8% (2024: 85.1%; 2019: 85.0%)– All 77.9% (2024: 76.4%; 2019: 75.9%)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
"Biggest influx" in asylum seekers due to Ukraine war as figures reach 10 year high
The war in Ukraine has had the biggest impact on the number of asylum seekers receiving support in the North East, reaching a 10-year high, a Darlington charity leader has claimed. Fran Wood, chief executive of Darlington Assistance for Refugees (DAR), said the Russian invasion in Europe was behind the "steady influx" of asylum seekers coming to the region over the last decade. Her comments come as new figures released by the Home Office show as of March 31, a total of 7,478 asylum seekers were being supported in the North East - rising from 4,443 in 2020. In County Durham, a total of 448 asylum seekers – defined as a person who has left their home country due to persecution or violence - were receiving support, up from just two a decade earlier. And while the Home Office has confirmed that the search for new asylum accommodation has been paused in the county, which is at "sufficient capacity", challenges remain for organisations like Fran's. In total, 50 volunteers work with DAR - supporting what Fran says has been a "steady influx" of asylum seekers from places like Ukraine, Syria and beyond. She added: "The biggest influx that I have noticed has been Ukrainians, but I think it has been a steady influx. "I think what we need to do as a country is to develop more settlement schemes abroad so people don't have to make dangerous boat crossings. "Some of the people we work with have got incredible stories of resilience to tell and are so determined to work and get on in life and try and improve their situation." "From the Syrians and Muslim people I have met, I think they have a lot to contribute to British values. Darlington Assistance for Refugees (DAR) banner. (Image: FRAN WOOD) "Some of the people we work with have got incredible stories of resilience to tell and are so determined to work and get on in life and try and improve their situation." The charity, which has been operating since 2014 and supports asylum seekers with everything from language skills to drop-in activities and more, is also struggling to find funding - placing it in a "critical situation". Ms Wood said: "I think the main challenge is funding. Finding funding to support asylum seekers is really difficult. "We try and apply for funding. We have applied for about 20 funds this year and only had three positives, and those aren't for the full amount we asked for. DAR volunteers. (Image: FRAN WOOD) "We are in a critical situation where we desperately need funding - and it's not forthcoming. It's tough." Currently, the embargo on new asylum seeker dwellings in County Durham will be in place for three months - but Reform UK previously said it hoped the news would be the first step toward a 'permanent freeze'. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We have currently paused the search for any new asylum dispersed accommodation in County Durham, as we believe we have sufficient capacity at this moment. Read more: Two arrests made at protest in Newcastle against UK asylum policy Refugees and asylum seekers in North East get chance to reach for the stars Rival groups gather outside North East hotel as asylum housing protest begins Manipulative asylum seeker raped North East woman after befriending her online 'In Autumn 2023, there were more than 400 asylum hotels in use across the UK at a cost of almost £9 million per day, and in the months before the election, the asylum backlog soared again as decision-making collapsed, placing the entire asylum system under unprecedented strain. 'We are working to share the responsibility for accommodating asylum seekers more fairly across the country, in close consultation with local authorities and other stakeholders, to reduce our reliance on hotels and deliver better value for money for taxpayers.' A spokesperson for Durham County Council confirmed they have "raised concerns" about the suitability of some properties for acquisition and conversion for asylum seekers, reiterating that said process has been temporarily paused. A Darlington Borough Council spokesperson added that they have not received "any official complaints" about the increase in asylum seekers in the area.
