Birmingham blight - is the Ofsted inspector right?

Birmingham is 'national disgrace' says Ofsted chief inspector. Below is taken from an extremely depressing Telegraph article.

Birmingham, Britain’s second city, has been branded a “national disgrace” and one of the worst places to grow up in the developed world.



But Sir Michael Wilshaw singled out a catalogue of wider social problems including:

:: Infant mortality rates almost twice the national average and “worse than in Cuba and on a par with Latvia and Chile”.

:: Having 12 of the 20 neighbourhoods which have declined most dramatically in the whole of England over the past 10 years.

:: A third of children growing up in households on low incomes.

:: The highest levels of homelessness in the country and double the national unemployment rate.

The above is all so depressing. Sir Michael Wilshaw, the Ofsted chief inspector, said the city had declined dramatically from being the “powerhouse of the nation” to the “fourth division” in the wake of a string of child scandals.


Birmingham should be thriving, it should be challenging London and confident. It is instead seemingly struggling. It's fine council offices not sitting in a fine city. Having the largest council in the Country probably doesn't help.

See here for more details.