By Democrat reporter
The SNP is “leaving Scotland’s most disadvantaged pupils behind,” Scottish Labour has warned following a fall in the proportion of pupils from the poorest communities leaving school for a positive destination.
Positive destinations data tracks how many Scottish school leavers go on to some form of work, education, training or other activities.
Overall there was some improvement in the proportion of Scottish school leavers going on to jobs or further education – however, this was not the case in the worst-off communities.
West Dunbartonshire includes a number of the most deprived communities in the country, including Dumbarton’s West End and Haldane in Balloch, where the Labour council has closed the community library.
In the most deprived communities, the proportion of school leavers going on to a more positive destination fell to the lowest point since 2019-20, with the gap between the best and the worst off widening.
Scottish Labour branded the figures a “shameful”, highlighting that First Minister John Swinney was once tasked with delivering the SNP’s “defining mission” to close the attainment gap in Scotland’s schools.
Scottish Labour Education spokesperson Pam Duncan-Glancy, pictured right, said “Almost ten years ago the SNP said closing the attainment gap was its defining mission and John Swinney was the man to do it – but this promise lies in tatters as figures show the poorest pupils are still being failed.
“At a time when we should be working to tackle the shameful inequalities in Scotland’s education system, the SNP is instead leaving Scotland’s most disadvantaged pupils behind.
“The SNP’s failure to create opportunities for young Scots of all backgrounds is shameful, but this is not as good as it gets.
“A Scottish Labour government would build an education and skills system that unlocks the full potential of every young person in Scotland and creates opportunities for all.”
Meanwhile, responding to new statistics which show that the deprivation gap for positive follow-up destinations among school leavers has increased for the third consecutive year, with the gap in those going on to higher education increasing to its widest since the 2019-20 cohort, Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP said:
“The yawning deprivation gap is a betrayal of all those young people who were promised a better future by Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP.
“A whole generation of children and young people have paid the price for the SNP’s failure to turn warm words into action.
“Giving every child the best start in life is key to what comes next.
“They deserve more in class support, a thriving skills sector that gives them choices and opportunities and a government focused on making that a reality.”