Anti-social behaviour is high, opportunity is low, and there is nothing to do.
That’s what young people in Gateshead told me about growing up in the north-east of England as a white working-class boy.
They are the demographic most let down by the system, according to the government – and new statistics shared exclusively with ITV News as part of a major inquiry back that up.
White working-class kids are twice as likely to be absent from school, according to the Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes.
On average, pupils are missing 7% of school lessons, compared to 13% for white working-class pupils.
White working-class kids are also two and a half times more likely to be severely absent, meaning they’re missing more than 50% of school.
The inquiry also found that white working-class pupils are much more likely to have special educational needs; 34% have SEND, compared to just 19% for others.
The data will form part of a broader report into the attainment gap between white working-class kids and their peers, due to be released at the end of June.
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