By Lucy Ashton
The Scottish Conservatives have congratulated Scottish learners for their results this week and the teachers and staff who have worked so hard in difficult circumstances to achieve.
However they accused the SNP government of failing pupils from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, after exam results data revealed a widening of the poverty-related attainment gap.
Statistics published by the SQA show that for National 5s and Highers, pass rates in 2023 are lower than the year before. In 2023 the pass rate was 77.1% at Higher and 78.8% for Nat 5, compared to 78.9% and 80.8% in 2022 respectively.
However, the starkest difference in results were between pupils from the most and least deprived parts of the country, showing, that the attainment gap between these pupils obtaining an A to C grade at National 5 level stood at 15.6% – a widening of the levels seen in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Meanwhile, the attainment gap for Higher pass rates has increased for the third year in a row, with pupils obtaining crucial A grades – seen as a passport to the most popular university courses – at its highest level since at least 2017, a staggering 23.4%.
Shadow education secretary Liam Kerr said that the widening attainment gap should be a “source of shame” for the SNP.
Liam Kerr, left, said: “Pupils, teachers and parents deserve great credit for their hard work after a school year which has been impacted by the consequences of the SNP Government’s under-funding of councils and failure to show leadership over reforms.
“I’d like to congratulate all those who have achieved the grades they hoped for and to acknowledge the commitment that made that possible.
“But while pupils and teachers have done their bit, it is impossible to ignore the impact on Scotland’s education system of 16 years of SNP neglect.
“The widening attainment gap should be a source of shame for ministers – pupils from the most disadvantaged backgrounds have been let down year after year by the SNP. For a government that claims to be ‘progressive’, it represents an abject and shameful failure.
“Under the SNP, our schools are chronically underfunded and teachers have been stretched to breaking point.
“There is a £155 million black hole in the education budget and now the threat of further strikes looms large. All this is taking its toll on our young people’s school experiences, future opportunities and our dedicated and hardworking teachers and staff.
“That’s precisely what the Scottish Conservative New Deal for Teachers is designed to address. We’ll continue to seek solutions and demand that the SNP turn their attention to our education system instead of their endless independence obsession.”
The attainment gap for National 5 pass rates has widened. In 2023, the gap between the most and least deprived pupils obtaining an A-C grade at National 5 level stood at 15.6% – an increase on the levels seen in 2020, 2021 and 2022. (SQA Monitoring Report 2023, 9 August 2023, link).
The attainment gap for Higher pupils obtaining A grades is at its highest level since at least 2017. In 2023, the gap between the most deprived and the least deprived students obtaining an A grade for Highers was 23.4% – the highest level since at least 2017. (SQA Monitoring Report 2023, 9 August 2023, link; SQA Monitoring Report 2021, 10 August 2021, link).
The attainment gap for Higher pass rates has widened for the third year in a row. The gap between the most and least deprived pupils obtaining an A-C grade at Higher level stood at 16% in 2023, wider than in 2022 and double the gap of 2021, where the attainment gap stood at 7.9%. (SQA Monitoring Report 2023, 9 August 2023, link).
The pass rate at Advanced Higher is lower in 2023 than it was in 2022. In 2023, the pass rate (those awarded A-C) was 79.8% at Advanced Higher. This compares to 81.3% in 2022. Furthermore, in 2023, 33% of entries at Advanced Higher were awarded an A. This compares to 33.7% in 2022. (SQA Provisional Attainment Statistics 2023, 8 August 2023, link).
The pass rate at Higher is lower in 2023 than it was in 2022. In 2023 the pass rate (those awarded A-C) was 77.1% at Higher this compares to 78.9% in 2022. Furthermore, in 2023, 32.8% of entries at a Higher were awarded an A. This compares to 34.8% in 2022. (SQA Provisional Attainment Statistics 2023, 8 August 2023, link).
The pass rate at National 5 is lower in 2023 than it was in 2022. In 2023, the pass rate (those awarded A-C) was 78.8% at national 5 this compares to 80.8% in 2022. Furthermore, in 2023, 38.6% of entries at a National 5 were awarded an A. This compares to 40.3% in 2022. (SQA Provisional Attainment Statistics 2023, 8 August 2023, link).