The SNP are continuing to “shamefully let down” Scotland’s poorest pupils, the Scottish Conservatives have said in response to the national exam results released today.
While overall pass rates for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher Exams fell across the board to their lowest levels since 2019, the starkest data relates to the results between pupils in the most and least deprived parts of Scotland.
The gap between those from the least and most deprived backgrounds who achieved A-C grades increased to 17.2 per cent, while the gap for those achieving A grades, stood at almost 28 percent.
A similar story occurred in the Higher results where the attainment gap for A-C grades widened for a fifth year in a row and in the Advanced Higher results where the gap between the most and least deprived pupils achieving A grades is now higher than it was prior to the pandemic.
Nicola Sturgeon said that in 2015 that she wanted to completely close the poverty-related attainment gap in Scotland’s schools, while the former First Minister and John Swinney both described it as the “defining mission” of the SNP Government.
Shadow education secretary Liam Kerr says the SNP have “failed” a generation of Scotland’s pupils with their abject failures in overseeing Scotland’s education system since taking power in 2007.
Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Liam Kerr MSP said: “Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Scotland’s pupils for their hard work across the last school year and to our dedicated teachers and staff for supporting them every step of the way.
“It has been another difficult year for pupils, teachers and parents in our schools. They have had to deal with the consequences of continued SNP cuts to teacher numbers, a failure to deliver much needed reforms to our education system and a lack of action on school violence.
“That has been a difficult backdrop for pupils to get the grades they hoped for, and they deserve every credit for doing so. However, we cannot ignore the impact of more than 17 years of failure by the SNP on these results.
“The widening of the attainment gap continues to shamefully let down pupils from our most deprived backgrounds. The reality is that the SNP have failed a generation of Scotland’s pupils during their time in office.
“Nicola Sturgeon wanted to eliminate the poverty-related attainment gap in our schools but it has widened year after year. John Swinney cannot escape his role in this scandal having been a former education secretary and having sat around the Cabinet table for all but one of the 17 years his party have been in charge.
“After 17 years, Scotland’s once world-leading education system has fallen down international league rankings on the SNP’s watch. They continue to kick much-needed reforms into the long grass and their long-awaited plans to replace the SQA amount to nothing more than a rebranding exercise.
“The Scottish Conservatives would restore Scotland’s schools with our New Deal for Teachers to allow them to focus on teaching and also introduce a subject guarantee to ensure all pupils across the country will be able to study seven subjects once reaching S4, to ensure our school system gets back to basics.”
Notes to editors:
National 5 Attainment Gap
The attainment gap for National 5 pass rates has widened. In 2024, the gap between the most and least deprived pupils obtaining an A-C grade at National 5 level stood at 17.2 percentage points - an increase on the levels seen in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. (SQA Monitoring Report 2024, 6 August 2024, link).
The attainment gap for National 5 pupils obtaining A grades has widened. In 2024, the gap between the most and least deprived pupils obtaining an A grade at National 5 level stood at 27.62 percentage points - an increase on the levels seen from 2020 - 2022 and identical to 2019. (SQA Monitoring Report 2024, 6 August 2024, link).
Higher Attainment Gap
The attainment gap for Higher pass rates has widened for the fifth year in a row. The gap between the most and least deprived pupils obtaining an A-C grade at Higher level stood at 17.2 percentage points in 2024, wider than in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019 where the attainment gap stood at 17.00 percentage points. (SQA Monitoring Report 2024, 6 August 2024, link).
The attainment gap for Higher pupils obtaining A grades is wider than pre-pandemic. In 2024, the gap between the most deprived and the least deprived students obtaining an A grade for Highers was 22.1 percentage points. Wider than the last year before the pandemic – 2019 when the gap was 22 percentage points. (SQA Monitoring Report 2024, 6 August 2024, link).
Advanced Higher Attainment Gap
The pass rate at Advanced Higher pass rates has widened for the fifth year in a row. In 2024, the gap between the most deprived and the least deprived students obtaining an A-C grade for Advanced Highers was 15.5 percentage points. wider than in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019 where the attainment gap stood at 13.2 percentage points. (SQA Monitoring Report 2024, 6 August 2024, link).
The pass rate at Advanced Higher pupils obtaining A grades is wider than pre-pandemic. In 2024, the gap between the most deprived and the least deprived students obtaining an A grade for Advanced Highers was 18.7 percentage points. Wider than the last year before the pandemic – 2019 when the gap was 15.5 percentage points. (SQA Monitoring Report 2024, 6 August 2024, link).
National 5 Pass Rates
The pass rate at National 5 is at its lowest for at least 5 years. In 2024 the pass rate (those awarded A-C) was 77.2% at National 5 this compares to 78.8% in 2023, 80.8% in 2022. (SQA Provisional Attainment Statistics 2024, 6 August 2024, link).
The A pass rate at National 5 is at its lowest since 2019. In 2024, 38.0% of entries at a National 5 were awarded an A. This compares to 38.6% in 2023, 40.3% in 2022. (SQA Provisional Attainment Statistics 2024, 6 August 2024, link).
Higher Pass Rates
The pass rate at Higher is its lowest since 2019. In 2024 the pass rate (those awarded A-C) was 74.9% at Higher this compares to 77.1% in 2023 and 78.9% in 2022. (SQA Provisional Attainment Statistics 2024, 6 August 2024, link).
The A pass rate at Higher is its lowest since 2019. In 2024, 30,3% of entries at a Higher were awarded an A. This compares to 32.8% in 2023 and 34.8% in 2022. (SQA Provisional Attainment Statistics 2024, 6 August 2024, link).
Advanced Higher Pass Rates
The pass rate at Advanced Higher is its lowest for at least 5 years. In 2024 the pass rate (those awarded A-C) was 75.3% at advanced higher. This compares to 79.8% in 2023 and 81.3% in 2022. (SQA Provisional Attainment Statistics 2024, 6 August 2024, link).
The A pass rate at Advanced Higher is its lowest for at least 5 years. In 2024 the number of pupils achieving an A at advanced higher was 30.0%. This compares to 33.0 in 2023, 33.7% in 2022. (SQA Provisional Attainment Statistics 2024, 6 August 2024, link).
Nicola Sturgeon promised to eliminate the poverty-related attainment gap. Nicola Sturgeon said in 2015 her aim was to ‘close that attainment gap completely’. (The Scotsman, 19 August 2015, link).
Nicola Sturgeon said that she should be judged on her education record. Nicola Sturgeon stated: ‘Let me be clear - I want to be judged on this. If you are not, as First Minister, prepared to put your neck on the line on the education of our young people then what are you prepared to. It really matters.’ (The Scotsman, 20 August 2015, link).
Nicola Sturgeon said that she has a ‘sacred responsibility’ to provide equal opportunities to all children. Nicola Sturgeon stated: ‘So now that I am First Minister, I am determined – indeed I have a scared responsibility – to make sure every young person in our land gets the same chance I had to succeed at whatever they want to do in life.’ (Daily Record, 25 May 2015, link).