Qualification levels vary sharply across Britain, a study revealed recently, prompting an academics' union to warn of a gulf between the country's ""educational haves and have nots"".

Up to a third of 16- to 64-year-olds have no qualifications in some regions, compared to only 2 percent in others, according to the report by the University and College Union (UCU).
The lecturers' union warned that people living in these educational black spots are at greatest risk from coalition policies such as the tripling of tuition fees from next year and the scrapping of the educational maintenance allowance (EMA).
The EMA grant is currently given to the poorest teenagers to help them stay in education.
""The government needs to urgently revisit its education policies if we are to really offer improved life chances to all,"" said UCU general secretary Sally Hunt.
The study showed that across Britain as a whole, 11.3 percent of adults finish school without gaining any qualifications, the researchers found. This includes 10.4 percent of all men and 12.2 percent of all women.
The study was based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showing the qualification rates in 632 parliamentary constituencies across in England, Scotland and Wales.
Glasgow North East had the lowest attainment levels, with more than a third of working age adults (35.3 percent) having no qualifications. Birmingham Hodge Hill followed with 33.3 percent.
At the other end of the scale, just 1.9 percent of adults in London's Brent North constituency lack qualifications, while in Romsey and Southampton North the figure is 2.3 percent.
The study also said an analysis of 21 cities showed that educational ""haves and haves nots"" were living side by side.
People living in the constituency of Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central are nearly twice as likely to have no qualifications (17 percent) than those in nearby Newcastle-upon-Tyne North (9.7 percent), the report said.
""We have two Britains divided between the educational haves and have nots and we have cities and counties where people with access to education are living alongside those with far fewer opportunities,"" said UCU general secretary Sally Hunt.
""There is a real danger that children growing up in certain areas will have their ambition blunted and never realize their full potential.""
(Source: AFP)