We’re second class citizens
A HIGHERS student from Glasgow’s East End has written to John Swinney claiming that Scotland’s poorest pupils are being treated like “secondclass citizens”.
Drew Skinner, 17, slammed the Education Secretary after it was revealed that grades across Scotland had been “modified’ in line with the “historical results of institutions”.
She was predicted to get two As and three Bs after her fifth year at St Mungo’s Academy in the Gallowgate. Instead, she was handed an A, B and three Cs yesterday.
Drew told the Record: “I have sixth year to pick up more Highers.
“But it’s unfair when I got nearly all As for my National 5s and worked hard this year too.”
Drew fears she may now not be able to study her preferred subjects at university.
She used her open letter to Swinney to demand answers over the “unfair” treatment she says is being handed out to pupils from different backgrounds.
She wrote: “It appears I am being held accountable for St Mungo’s previous results.
“If students are to be presented with grades lower than their potential, this could add to the poverty cycle as pupils may not be able to meet university or college requirements.
“This could result in them putting themselves in low-skilled employment.
“Students in more affluent areas remain prosperous as they inherit schools’ historic exam results as a safety blanket.”
Drew is yet to receive a reply from Swinney.
She also responded to a tweet from a pupil at Glasgow’s high-achieving Jordanhill School, which said: “Pretty happy, got fails and Cs in the prelims and ended up with four As and a B. “The luck of going to Jordanhill.” Drew said: “It’s a vicious circle of poverty. “At schools like Jordanhill, parents will have probably gone to university, the kids might have tutors.
“In the east end we can’t afford tutors and a lot of us would be first generation university-goers.
“My mum’s a carer and my dad’s a steeplejack. What chance have we got?”
Drew is looking to lodge appeals and hopes she can still make mum Andrea and dad David, both 38, and sister, Mirren, 13, proud. She said: Lots of people are too upset to speak out about this. I’m not afraid to.
“John Swinney has to acknowledge what’s gone wrong and not let it happen again.”