Ludo Thierry

Reporting Scotland’s Brian Taylor neglected an opportunity to inform the Scottish viewing public that Scottish Universities have come within a whisker of achieving their improved access for degree entrants from most disadvantaged areas interim target fully 2 years ahead of schedule. Reported on news.gov.scot yesterday. link and snippets below:

https://news.gov.scot/news/access-to-higher-education-continues-to-widen

Scotland’s universities have nearly met the interim targets set for widening access – two years ahead of schedule.

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) figures for the academic year 2018/19 show 15.9% of full-time first degree entrants to Scottish universities came from the nation’s 20% of most deprived areas – just under the target of 16% by 2021.

The figures also show:
• there was a continued rise in the number of Scottish domiciled enrolments to Scottish higher education institutions (HEIs) which now stands at 163,470, a rise of 1.6% since 2017/18 – the highest number of enrolments since 2010/11

• the first fall in EU enrolment numbers since the expansion of the EU in 2004

• a record 253,475 students were enrolled at Scottish HEIs in 2018/19, a 2.6% increase from last year and a 10.2% rise since 2006/07

Sadly, the figures also indicate the early effects of Brexit on enrolment of EU entrants – Thanks for nothing PM Johnson.