by Democrat reporter
Scottish Liberal Democrat education and children spokesperson Duncan Dunlop MSP has today said that the SNP need to do better for care-experienced children, as new figures show worryingly lower rates of attendance, attainment and positive leaver destinations compared with those for all children.
The Education Outcomes for Looked After Children 2024-25 showed that:
- The gap in attendance rates between looked-after pupils and all pupils in secondary schools widened to 9.9 percentage points.
- The exclusion rate for looked-after pupils remains around five times the rate for all pupils.
- The attainment gap between looked-after pupils and all pupils has increased compared to the previous year for all subjects at P1 and S3 stages.
- The gap between the proportion of looked-after school leavers compared to all leavers who are in positive destinations was 20.5 percentage points.
As a former youth worker and Chief Executive of Who Cares? Scotland, Duncan used his maiden speech in the Scottish Parliament to tell the stories of young people whom the state has failed. He has repeatedly urged the Scottish Government to focus on the rights of care-experienced young people.
Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Duncan Dunlop MSP said: Ten years ago, Nicola Sturgeon promised major changes for young people with experience in the care system. The Promise that she and her government committed to, however, has not been fulfilled, nor is it on track to be.
“Having worked with care-experienced young people for many years, I know that they disproportionately struggle in life. I also know that without the typical stable home life of many other children, education can be a lifeline for those in care.
“That is why it is so important that we make sure these children are engaged when they are at school, and that they are able to thrive in our education system. If we don’t, we place these children at risk of limited, if not dire, life chances.
“I have written to the Scottish Government requesting a meeting to discuss the action that is needed, but I have so far yet to receive a response.
“Transforming the care system is at the root of so many other issues, from reducing the prison population to tackling homelessness and ending the drug deaths emergency. The Scottish Government urgently needs to do better.”