Class divide as richest pupils still dominate university
MORE than twice as many pupils from the richest backgrounds in Scotland get to university compared to the poorest, new figures show.
According to official statistics just 25.7 per cent of school leavers from the most deprived areas go on to higher education, compared to
61.6% of those from the wealthiest areas.
However, the Scottish
Government statistics also reveal that in 2017/18 a higher proportion of the poorest pupils leaving school managed to get a job or got to college, university or further training.
And for the first time 30% of pupils left school with a minimum of five passes at Higher level or better, up from 22% in 2009/10.
In addition, more young people are choosing to remain at school, with almost two-thirds now staying on until sixth year.
John Swinney, the Education Secretary, welcomed the figures, but said more needed to be done.
He said: “These figures show ... the gap between the richest and poorest is now half what it was.
“They also show pupils are generally staying at school for longer and gaining more qualifications between fourth and sixth year. “I am particularly pleased to see the attainment gap between school leavers achieving a pass at Higher Level or better is at a record low.”
Iain Gray, education spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party, said the figures showed a stark “class divide”.
He said: “Young people from the most deprived areas are more likely to go to college and less likely to go straight to university after school.
“Despite that, the SNP has underinvested in further education diminishing opportunities for a whole section of young people.”
Labour also attacked the use of zero hours contracts, which were described by John Swinney as a “positive destination”.
Liz Smith, education spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservative Party, added: “These figures show some encouraging signs, most especially in terms of an increasing number of pupils with more qualifications at both Higher and Advanced Higher.
“However, the figures also show that, as yet, there is no sign of the attainment gap narrowing. It is still the case that the odds are stacked against those pupils in deprived areas compared with their better off counterparts.”