Hard work pays off for deprived youths

NEARLY half of Glasgow school pupils going on to further education come from the city’s 20 per cent most deprived postcodes.

Latest figures showing what happens to city pupils once they leave school report an increase in the most disadvantaged children going on to college and university.

However, overall, numbers show a slight drop in positive destinations for Glasgow’s pupils overall.

Chris Cunningham, City Convener for Education, Skills & Early Years, said: “Our aim is for every child and young person in the city to have the same opportunities and that’s why we place such a high emphasis on widening access to higher and further education.

“No one in Glasgow should be disadvantaged because of their postcode. These figures are so encouraging and I know that our young people and school staff have high aspirations and work extremely hard to achieve their full potential.”

Numbers were based on pupils who left school between August 1, 2015, and July 31, 2016.

Data was recorded in September 2016 showing how many young people had gone on to to higher education, volunteering, employment, training.

Former pupils were then asked again in February 2017 if they were still in a positive destination.

Education bosses have been trying over the past few years to ensure all school leavers are included, however the number of “unknowns” rose from 16 in the September survey to 98 in the February round.

For the purposes of the figures, higher education includes university and college.

Young people going on to higher education from the more deprived 20 per cent of postcodes has increased six per cent in the past two years from 41.7 per cent in 2013/14 to 47.8 per cent for the most recent 2015/16 data.

Glasgow City Council set a target of getting 75 per cent of care experienced young people into education, employment or training following school.

In 2011/12 some 51 per cent of care leavers went on to training, work or a college place. At the end of September 2017, 70 per cent of young people were in education, employment or training.

This means Glasgow is performing above the Scottish national average, which is 50 per cent.

Bosses put this down to services for care experienced young people such as the MCR Pathways mentoring programme, Continuing Care Employability Services (CCES) and Glasgow Life and Arts in the City.