This week 30 years ago: Just 20 pupils in Hackney passed three A-levels statistics revealed

Angry education chiefs and teachers hit out at claims that Hackney’s secondary school kids weren’t getting a decent education, this week 30 years ago.

The Gazette reported that the "classroom rumpus" revolved around 1988 exam results, made public for the first time in a detailed analysis of the 12 Inner London Education Authority borough results - which showed only 20 pupils in Hackney passed three A-levels.

Eric Ollerenshaw, leader of ILEA's Conservatives, branded Hackney's results as "appalling" - although he did say youngsters had plenty of potential which the figures had not reflected.

But ILEA leader Neil Fletcher was swift to condemn national newspaper reports comparing pupils' achievements in 1988 wtih those in 1977 when grammar schools existed, as "highly inaccurate and misleading".

Mark Lushington of Hackney NUT said: "Statistics really mean nothing as they can be twisted. And it is absolutely stupid to compare a deprived borough like Hackney with better off boroughs. The issue is to tackle the borough's social problems as you can't separate edcuation from them."

The results in Hackney at both A-level and GCSE had shown a continuing improvement over the last few years according to ILEA.