Statistics are what I say they are

Michael Gove, Shadow Children's Secretary, from a series of questions he asked in parliament, has presented evidence of the failure of the educational system to help children from the poorest families in our society.

It emerged that of secondary school children eligible for free school meals, frequently taken as indicating poverty and deprivation, about 44% , or 33,909, fail to gain any GCSE pass of grace C or better, a so-called "good pass". Only one in 16 stays on in education after the age of 16. In 2006 year only 176, or 0.2% achieved the three grade A passes at A-level. (In 2006 25,948 children achieved three A grade passes altogether.)

If you subscribe to the notion that all children are of the same academic and intellectual potential, as certainly the lefties are inclined, and that differences in achievement are due to nurture and not nature, than those results are a terrible indictment of our system, however much we may disagree over explanation. In fact the numbers are far worse than in the days or selective education!

It is not surprising that Michael Gove made use of such statistics in an important speech yesterday. It is equally unsurprising that a Government spokesman could say on Toady this morning that there are big improvements in the year since. He gave no actual figures, and seems to be relying on us to forget what he said when the figures emerge.