Orkney and Shetland Labour
7 August 2019
Attainment rates at Higher in Scotland have fallen for the fourth year running – a situation that is now a trend.
Exam results published today show a significant fall in attainment in National 4, Higher and advanced Higher qualifications, while there was a slight increase in National 5 attainment year-on-year.
Labour said pupils and teachers were delivering results in spite of austerity, but the Government has to now deliver the investment schools need to reverse this entrenched trend – which is becoming John Swinney’s legacy.
Scottish Labour's Education spokesperson Iain Gray MSP said:
"Pupils across Scotland have achieved outstanding results today. They deserve our congratulations and their dedicated teachers deserve our thanks.
"We want to have an education system where all young people can achieve their potential, however the trend of falling attainment in Scottish education for the last few years is now the norm.
"These results show a fourth year of falling attainment in what the Government calls the ‘gold standard’ Higher qualification.
"Years of sustained cuts to schools, thousands of fewer teachers and the narrowing of the curriculum are failing our young people.
"John Swinney has been warned year after year that these are the real issues facing our schools but instead he focuses on unwanted and unneeded governance ‘reforms’.
"It is long past the time he took his failings seriously and urgently tells pupils, parents and teachers what he intends to do to reverse these trends.
"Failing to do so will simply fail more young people.
"Our exam results continue to do great credit to the hard work of our teachers and young people. They deserve a government that backs them with the resources our schools need."
Data released today shows:
· A-C attainment rate for National 4 has dropped by 2.6% year on year to 88.5%
· A-C attainment rates at Higher fell to 74.8% from 76.8% last year and 79.6% in 2015
Attainment rates at Higher in Scotland have fallen for the fourth year running – a situation that is now a trend.
Exam results published today show a significant fall in attainment in National 4, Higher and advanced Higher qualifications, while there was a slight increase in National 5 attainment year-on-year.
Labour said pupils and teachers were delivering results in spite of austerity, but the Government has to now deliver the investment schools need to reverse this entrenched trend – which is becoming John Swinney’s legacy.
Scottish Labour's Education spokesperson Iain Gray MSP said:
"Pupils across Scotland have achieved outstanding results today. They deserve our congratulations and their dedicated teachers deserve our thanks.
"We want to have an education system where all young people can achieve their potential, however the trend of falling attainment in Scottish education for the last few years is now the norm.
"These results show a fourth year of falling attainment in what the Government calls the ‘gold standard’ Higher qualification.
"Years of sustained cuts to schools, thousands of fewer teachers and the narrowing of the curriculum are failing our young people.
"John Swinney has been warned year after year that these are the real issues facing our schools but instead he focuses on unwanted and unneeded governance ‘reforms’.
"It is long past the time he took his failings seriously and urgently tells pupils, parents and teachers what he intends to do to reverse these trends.
"Failing to do so will simply fail more young people.
"Our exam results continue to do great credit to the hard work of our teachers and young people. They deserve a government that backs them with the resources our schools need."
Data released today shows:
· A-C attainment rate for National 4 has dropped by 2.6% year on year to 88.5%
· A-C attainment rates at Higher fell to 74.8% from 76.8% last year and 79.6% in 2015