By Professor John Robertson, Associate Dean (Quality Assurance) University of the West of Scotland, Faculty of Education 2000-2003 (I know, get me)
BBC Scotland, the tabloids and even the Guardian were delighted to see the attainment gap in exams widen in the last year:
For example, the most recent figures show that the gap between Higher A-C pass rates for pupils from the most affluent and most deprived areas of the country stood at 17.2, up from 16% last year and 16.9% in 2019. The attainment gap has also increased for National 5s and Advanced Highers.
No one, civilised, has ever seriously reduced an attainment gap between the advantaged and and the disadvantaged. Improve teaching and resourcing and the disadvantaged do better but so to do those pesky advantaged kids and the gap just moves up and persists!
Only the Maoist policies of China and Albania have worked in this regard. Send the formerly advantaged kids out to the fields and don’t let them do exams. Watch the attainment gap narrow then reverse as the formerly advantaged kids figure drops to zero.
Seriously though, isn’t what really matters is that disadvantaged kids just do better?
They have:
Using data from Summary Statistics for Attainment and Initial Leaver Destinations, No. 5: 2023 Edition published in February 2023 (I can see no such in 2024):
At SCQF level 7, the gap in 2009/10, two years after the SNP first came to power, was 24.1 and by 2021/22 it was still 22.2, though down from 25 in the previous year. If you have limited understating of statistics or cynically only wish to accuse the SNP Government of failure, these statistics hide the true nature of change.
In 2009/10 only 4.7% of those in the most disadvantaged 20% had achieved at this level but by 2021/22, the figure was 10.3%, more than doubling in only 12 years. Remember also, that 20% means nearly 3 000 pupils every year.
Over the same period 28.8% of those in the most advantaged 20% had achieved at this level and by 2021/22, the figure was 38.8%, a smaller in percentage but larger in actual numbers, increase.[v]
So, despite the major improvement among those from the most deprived 20%, there had also been a significant improvement among the least deprived 20%. So, the gap had only narrowed slightly, after widening in the previous year, and two successes, one in a priority area for government, the gap widened in 2020/21 and then only narrowed in 2021/22, is then reported as failure.
The attainment gap is a largely artificial and mostly political idea with no meaning for those it describes. What really matters is the massive improvement in the life chances of those in the most disadvantaged 20%. It’s not enough, of course, but this fact relates to the real experience of thousands rather than that of the media and opposition party opportunism.
There have been similar improvements in attainment for the other three groups between the most and the least disadvantaged. The gaps between them and the least disadvantaged are narrower and, of course, of no interest to the media.
Away from formal examination-based assessment, there has been considerable progress on narrowing attainment gaps, in primary schools, at a stage when there is not the pressure to compete for access to high status universities. In December 2022, we could read in Scottish Government announcements, if not in the media:
“The poverty-related attainment gaps in literacy and numeracy levels across primary schools have seen the biggest decreases since records began, official statistics show. The gap between the proportion of primary pupils from the most and least-deprived areas achieving expected levels has narrowed by 3.4 percentage points in literacy and 3.7 percentage points in numeracy, according to the Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) 2021/22. This marks the largest narrowing of the gap in a year since consistent records began in 2016/17. There has also been a record increase in the proportion of primary school pupils achieving the expected levels of literacy (up 3.7 percentage points to 70.5%) and numeracy (up 3.3 percentage points to 77.9%).”[vi]
Taken together and based on evidence, we see a very different picture of the achievements of the SNP in Government, in this last decade and more, in assisting schools and learners to achieve all that they can achieve.
In the end, of course, most of the credit goes to the learners and to the schools but just as the opposition parties would want to claim credit had they been in government and, had the trends that matter gone the other way, they would blame us for it, the SNP in government deserves its share.
Source:
i] https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-attainment-initial-leaver-destinations-no-5-2023-edition/documents/
[ii] http://zhaolearning.com/2014/03/09/how-does-pisa-put-the-world-at-risk-part-1-romanticizing-misery/
[iii] https://progressgp.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/does-south-koreas-education-system-hurt-its-students/
[iv] https://thediplomat.com/2017/03/hong-kongs-wave-of-student-suicides/
[v] https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-attainment-initial-leaver-destinations-no-5-2023-edition/documents/
[vi] https://www.gov.scot/news/record-narrowing-of-the-attainment-gap/
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
From UCAS, the UK universities’ undergraduate admission service, issued a press statement on August 6, 2024 following the release of the Scottish Higher results :
‘NUMBER OF DISADVANTAGED SCOTTISH STUDENTS GETTING A UNIVERSITY PLACE HITS RECORD HIGH’:
‘UCAS figures released today for SQA results day (Tuesday 6 August) show 1,950 of 17 and 18-year-olds from the 20% most deprived postcodes (SIMD20) have been accepted, up from 1,790 (+9%) last year and 1,340 (+46%) in 2019. These figures highlight the sustained effort across the education sector in Scotland to widen access to university. (my emphasis)
‘Overall, 31,970 Scottish students (all ages) have gained a place this year, compared to 30,050 in 2023 (+6%) and 28,750 in 2019 (+11%).
Other key points from today’s release include:
‘Overall, 30,270 Scottish applicants (all ages) have gained a place at their first (UCAS ‘firm’) choice, an increase on 28,450 last year (+6%) and 27,160 (+11%) in 2019.
A record 20,670 young Scots (aged 19 and under) have been accepted at university or college, up from 19,640 (+5%) in 2023 and 16,610 (+24%) in 2019.
The proportion of the most disadvantaged Scottish 18-year-olds (SIMD Quintile 1) getting a place has risen to 15.4% this year, up from 14.6% in 2023. In comparison, the proportion of the most advantaged Scottish 18-year-olds (SIMD Quintile 5) has increased to 43.7%, up from 41.8% last year. This means advantaged students are 2.84 times more likely to enter higher education than the least advantaged, compared to 2.86 last year – narrowing the gap in participation.’
The statement goes on: ‘Dr Jo Saxton CBE, Chief Executive of UCAS, said: “I’m delighted to be in Scotland today, seeing at first-hand record numbers of disadvantaged students begin that journey to the life-changing experience higher education has to offer.
“Widening access is a key priority for UCAS, and of course for universities, colleges and schools in Scotland. Today’s figures demonstrate the tremendous efforts made to support applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve their aspirations and career ambitions. ‘
Source: https://www.ucas.com/corporate/news-and-key-documents/news/number-disadvantaged-scottish-students-getting-university-place-hits-record-high
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25% mature students left out of the numbers. Life long learning. People going back to Education. Included there is no attainment gap. 30% from school. 25% mature student. 7% EU. (Was 15% before Brexit) + foreign students paying the full cost. Higher education. 62%+. Highest in the world. Based on the ability to learn. Not the ability to pay. Next Canada 56%. Scotland has the most universities in the world pro rata. 15 pop 5.4million.
College places, apprenticeships. Some apprenticeship included degree learning. People going from College HNC/HND to 2nd year of University study. Trades people earn a good living. Joiners, electrician, hairdressers, beauty people. They have most job satisfaction. Hospitality, caring, childcare, retail, office workers. Good prospects. Neurodiverse inclusion increasing.
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I take issue with your use of the word ‘even’ in respect of the attitude of the Guardian. The word ‘especially’ would have been more appropriate.
I agree with your analysis of the examination outcomes and the fact that more young people from the lowest socio economic groups are attaining more Higher Grades and more A passes. The data for Glasgow, for example are very heartening. It is an unfair to compare this with the increases achieved by young people in, say, East Renfrewshire or East Dunbartonshire.
2024 was the first year since the pandemic in which results have been achieved under the same examination regime as prior to the pandemic. Outcomes are broadly in line with 2020.
Two things are worth noting:
Alasdair Macdonald.
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Off topic, but it still relates to attainment.
The Paris Olympics has ended and Great Britain and Northern Ireland attains 65 medals. Of these 13 medals (20% ) were won by Scottish athletes despite having only 8% of the population of the UK.
Of course, BBC Scotland manages to present this negatively: ‘Scottish athletes fail to break the record’. The highest number medals won by Scots at any Olympics is 14, so according to BBC Scotland the medals won in Paris represents failure.
Despite young people from the lowest socio-economic group attaining more and better High Grades in 2024, than in previous years and with more gaining entry to university, this is ignored by the Scottish media because ‘the gap’ between the highest and lowest socioeconomic groups has widened slightly. Ergo, Scottish schools are failing.
The Scottish media have to find a cloud attached to any silver lining. Even if they were to recognise there was a silver lining, it would be deemed a failure because it was not a ‘golden lining’.
Alasdair Macdonald.
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