Poorer kids STILL less likely to go to university under SNP

POORER children are still less likely to go to university – nearly five years after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon vowed to close the ‘attainment gap’.

Some 59.3 per cent of pupils from the least deprived areas go on to university compared with only 25.9 per cent of their poorest peers, Scottish Government figures show.

The number of school-leavers who had at least one pass at Higher level fell from 62.2 per cent in 2017-18 to 60.5 per cent in 2018-19.

Education Secretary John Swinney described the ‘slight fall’ in the number of pupils leaving school with at least one exam pass as a ‘fluctuation’.

But Professor Lindsay Paterson, education expert at the University of Edinburgh, said: ‘These statistics provide yet more evidence that the Scottish curriculum is not working.

‘The new exams were produced as part of Curriculum for Excellence, which has been widely criticised for its lack of rigour and lack of attention to knowledge. Declining attainment is the inevitable consequence.’

The number of pupils leaving with at least one pass at National 4 level fell from 96.2 per cent to 95.9 per cent in the past year, with a drop from 85.9 per cent to 85.1 per cent in those with who had at least one National 5 pass.

A total of 28.7 per cent of school-leavers had five Higher passes or more in 2018-19, down from 30.4 per cent. Just over

‘Curriculum is not working’

two-fifths (40.3 per cent) of those who finished school in 2018-19 went to university, with more than a quarter (27.3 per cent) going on to other further education. More than a fifth (22.9 per cent) joined the workplace, while 3.5 per cent found a training place. The rest were unemployed.

Across Scotland, a record 95 per cent of school leavers in 2018-19 went on to further or higher education, training or employment – within three months – up from 94.6 per cent the previous year.

But the gap between pupils from the most deprived areas leaving with at least one National 4 pass and those from the least deprived areas who achieved this rose from 6.1 percentage points to 6.7.

Scottish Tory education spokesman Jamie Greene said: ‘It’s a disgrace that the attainment gap is growing again in certain areas, especially after all the noise the SNP has made about this issue over the years.

‘The SNP has been in control of education for 13 years.

‘In that time, standards have slipped, teacher numbers have plummeted and now fewer youngsters are leaving with a qualification.

‘Parents, teachers and pupils are absolutely fed up by this failing SNP Government.’

Yesterday, Scottish Labour education spokesman Iain Gray said there needed to be a ‘whole-scale review of the Curriculum for Excellence’. He added: ‘For years, the SNP has savagely cut further education, the most common educational destination for those from deprived areas, diminishing the opportunities of thousands of young people.’

Lib Dem education spokesman Beatrice Wishart said: ‘Pass rates fluctuate year-onyear – but falls across the board expose the serious challenges facing Scottish education.’

Mr Swinney said: ‘For the ninth consecutive year, more young Scots are in study, training or work three months after leaving school than ever.’

He said the figures showed the Curriculum for Excellence reforms were ‘delivering one of the ultimate aims of school education – to secure a positive next step in learning, life and work for our young people’.

He added: ‘In any high-performing system there will be fluctuation, however, over time the percentage of school-leavers achieving one or more pass at National 5 and Higher level has improved substantially.’

‘Serious challenges facing education’