Dundee West Labour
26 February 2019
The statistical publication, Summary Statistics for Attainment and Initial Leaver Destinations, reveals that, in 2017/18, the most common destination for leavers from the most deprived areas was Further Education at 37.7 per cent.
The further education sector has been hammered by more than a decade of SNP government and years of austerity has cost our colleges over £1 billion.
Meanwhile, young people from the richest areas had the greatest percentage of school leavers going on to university.
Just 25.7 per cent of school leavers from the most deprived areas go on to higher education, compared to 61.6 per cent of those from wealthier areas.
The figures also include zero hour contracts as positive destinations, after the SNP rejected a Labour proposal to stop counting them.
Labour Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education Iain Gray said:
“In Scotland today, 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 under invested in further education – diminishing opportunities for a whole section of young people.
“John Swinney also must stop counting zero hour contract jobs as a positive destination in the future, even if it makes it more difficult for him to spin the numbers.
“Labour would invest in education and our communities because we know the most important investment a country can make is in its people.”
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