Ministers told disadvantaged are poorly targeted in the crisis of lost schooling in Scotland MINISTERS have been told the disadvantaged are poorly targeted in the crisis of lost schooling in Scotland. However, new research shows that Scotland’s funding levels for pupil catch-up are also the highest in the UK. The Education Policy Institute (EPI) published its latest findings after the Scottish Government announced £60 million of additional investment in Covid-related education recovery, including the employment of more teachers, classroom support staff and facilities management. Experts say per pupil funding north of the Border now stands at £200. But a new analysis by the Education Policy Institute says that catch-up plans in Wales and Northern Ireland are far better targeted, with a greater share of funding aimed at disadvantaged pupils – whose learning has been hardest hit by the disruption to schools.
Attainment gap for poorer pupils is stark, say campaigners 02/02/2021, 12:04 am
Pupils in the most disadvantaged areas were less likely to leave school with more than one Higher grade (David Jones/PA)
Stark gaps in educational attainment risk being compounded by the pandemic, according to campaigners.
Research from the Poverty Alliance found the attainment gap starts in the early years of education and grows wider over time.
In 2019, 43.5% of pupils in the most deprived areas achieved one or more Highers when leaving school, compared to almost 79.3% of pupils living in the least deprived areas.
Inequalities continued after school years, with about 10% of young people in the most deprived areas being unemployed after the age of 16 compared to 2.6% for the least deprived.