stewartb
So Tories trying to deceive again! Surely even BBC Scotland and STV won’t run with this?
(It occurs to me that the measure of failure in Scotland of an opposition party’s public statement is that EVEN the BBC won’t run with it!)
Anyway, this from Universities Scotland dated 9 August 2022 provides further support for the points made in today’s blog post.
‘Today, statistical data released by UCAS show that as of 9 August: …
‘2,110 young people from the 20 % most deprived areas of Scotland (SIMD20) have accepted a place to go to university in 2022, AN INCREASE OF 25% FROM 2019 (at the same point in the cycle. Young is defined as 19 years of age and under).’ (my emphasis)
Director of Universities Scotland, Alastair Sim said: ‘We know the pandemic was more challenging for those with the least resources, so to see a 25% rise in the number of young Scots from disadvantaged backgrounds getting into university since pre-pandemic times (sic). The increase in pass rates at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher and THE GAP IN ATTAINMENT BEING REDUCED IS welcome progress that will be essential if universities are to continue to meet their targets on widening access.’
Source: https://www.universities-scotland.ac.uk/sqaresults22/
Talking-up Scotland 
Tories trying to deceive? The Mendacity Party in top gear.
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Gratifying to see the hard work of students and staff, the focusing of resources starting to feed through to results, significant results too. All involved need their efforts recognised and applauded.
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It has not just ‘started to work through’ but has been an improving situation since the SNP came into Gov and made this a priority. They have put resources into schools and supported those who have made a sustained effort to reduce the attainment gap.
In 2006, the last full year of the Labour/LibDem coalition Scottish Executine, for every university application UCAS received from a pupil in a deprived area of Scotland it received 4.5 applications from pupils in advantaged areas. So 4.5 to 1.
By 2018 that gap had been reduced to 2.6 to one – almost halved – and as UCAS pointed out that was due to an increase in applications from pupils in disadvantaged areas.
In 2006 9.8% of uni applications from Scottish pupils received by UCAS were from pupils in disadvantaged areas. By 2018 this had risen to almost 18% and has continued to rise.
Fully one third of uni applications in Scotland do not go via UCAS so the gap may be even narrower
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O.T
Where now for Iain Macwhirter?
Once a journalist of merit, one of very few in Scotland, he has drifted a little in the last few years, giving plaudits to Boris in particular, and the Tories in general.
I agree with some of his assessment on the lack of focus and purpose in the Sturgeon government over independence.
I wish him well, however, and hope he recovers his MOJO.
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England’s “Princess of Wales”, has been told in Ireland—
“Nice to meet you, but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country”!
England’s media thinks there is a problem with that sentiment.
Maybe they cannot understand if “her own country” is England or Wales?
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The ‘Believe in Scotland’ website also has an article about the same 9 August 2022 data. They say
http://www.believeinscotland.org/media-watch-biased-reporting-of-scotlands-higher-results/
“…the percentage of students from the most deprived areas who attend university in Scotland is a whopping 50% higher than England’s.”
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O/T for 7/10 – A&E – Radio 4 about 07.09, Mishal Hussain in Aberdeen, interviewing Gillian Evans on Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Piece started with 63% waiting over 4 hours figure, but did say England figure was 58%. First Minister to be interviewed on Radio 4 about 08.10.
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