A record proportion of school leavers were in a ‘positive destination’ such as study, work or training about three months after leaving school last year.
Figures show that 95% of young people were in a positive destination, with the gap between those from the most and least deprived communities achieving a positive destination the lowest since 2009-10.
The statistics also show that:
- more than 85% of school leavers achieve at least one pass at SCQF 5 or better. In 2006-07 the proportion was 71.1%
- the proportion of school leavers with one or more pass at SCQF 6 or better is 60.5%. In 2006-07 the proportion was 41.6%
- the proportion of school leavers achieving vocational awards has increased to 17%, giving them skills they need for entering the workplace. The achievement of these awards has increased for school leavers every year since 2013-14
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “For the ninth consecutive year, more young Scots are in study, training or work three months after leaving school than ever before. Moreover, the gap between the richest and poorest communities for those moving into a positive destination continues to narrow.
“This demonstrates that Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is delivering one of the ultimate aims of school education – to secure a positive next step in learning, life and work for our young people.
“Compared with the previous year, there has been a slight fall in attainment for school leavers who achieved one or more national qualifications. In any high performing system there will be fluctuation, however over time the percentage of school leavers achieving one or more pass at National 5 and Higher level has improved substantially.
“We have commissioned the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to carry out an independent review of the curriculum. The review will look carefully at achievement in the senior phase so that we can improve further.”
Alma Harris, a member of the International Council of Education Advisers (ICEA), said at the ICEA biannual meeting last week: “The Scottish system is doing everything that we would expect a high performing system to do. It has all the right components, it’s investing in the right places.
“What we are seeing is incremental growth. And, as a council, we’re very confident that that incremental growth bodes well for the future.
“The focus on equity and excellence is, without question, the right focus. The way in which the system has been empowered, to develop itself into a high performing system, is also to be commended.”
The official statistics can be found here.
City SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald has welcomed new figures showing more Edinburgh school leavers are in study, work or training than a decade ago.
Across Scotland, a record proportion of young people were in a positive destination three months after leaving school last year. The gap between those from the most and least deprived communities achieving a positive destination the lowest since 2009-10.
In Edinburgh, the number of unemployed school leavers seeking work fell from 15% in 2009/10 to 3% in 2018/19.
Over the same time period the number of school leavers going directly to higher education rose from 37% to 43%.
SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald said: “It is very welcome that significantly more young people in Edinburgh are going on to positive destinations such as work and study straight from school.
“For the ninth consecutive year, more young Scots are in study, training or work three months after leaving school than ever before.
“It’s particularly welcome that the gap between the richest and poorest communities, for those moving into a positive destination, continues to narrow.
“This demonstrates that Curriculum for Excellence is delivering one of the ultimate aims of school education – to secure a positive next step in learning, life and work for our young people.”
For some, however, it’s a case of ‘Could Do Better’ – particularly for children with additional support needs.
Commenting on the Scottish Government’s statistics for attainment and initial leaver destinations for secondary pupils (2018/19), a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition – an alliance of independent and third sector service providers – said: “We are deeply concerned about falling attainment levels for those with additional support needs such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.
“While 91 per cent of those with ASN had one pass or more at SCQF Level 4 or better in 2017/18, this had reduced to 90.7 per cent in 2018/19. For those with one or more pass at SCQF Level 5 or better this had fallen from 70.4 per cent to 69.8 per cent. And for those with one or more pass at SCQF Level 6 this had fallen from 39.5 per cent to 39.3 per cent.
“The attainment gap between those with ASN and those with no ASN has increased from 7.3 per cent for 2017/18 to 7.6 per cent in 2018/19 for those with one or more pass at SCQF Level 4 or better and from 21.8 per cent to 22.4 per cent for those with one or more pass at SCQF Level 5 or better. It has dropped from 31.9 per cent to 31.2 per cent for those with 1 or more pass at SCQF Level 6 or better.
“It is deeply disappointing to see this fall in attainment level for those with ASN and that the attainment gap is opening between those with ASN and no ASN in some categories.
“Along with the National Deaf Children’s Society, the National Autistic Society Scotland, and Royal Blind we recently made a call for increased resourcing in the Scottish Government Budget to support those with ASN.
“While the numbers of those with ASN has risen by more than 82 per cent since 2012, amounting to just under a third of the pupil population, it is alarming that spend per pupil with ASN has fallen by more than 26 per cent over this same period.
“It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need in order to give them the best possible start in life and close the educational attainment gap.
“Too many pupils with additional support needs are missing out on the specialist support they require because of budget cuts at a time of increasing need.
“This is clearly challenging in an environment of austerity, however, the cost to society in the long term if adequate resourcing is not provided will far outweigh any potential savings made today.”
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