This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Fresh attack on link between poverty and education
21/09/2005
A renewed effort to end the devastating impact of poverty in Scotland's schools was announced today by Education Minister Peter Peacock.
Signalling potential extra help for those areas where pupils' performance suffers because of high levels of deprivation, the Minister warned the problem would take a generation to fix.
Mr Peacock said:
"The link between poverty and pupil performance is stark. Pupils from the most deprived areas account for higher levels of absence, lower levels of attainment and are more likely to leave school without any qualifications. Turning this round is the biggest single challenge facing our otherwise high-performing education system.
"Too many children are not getting the range of support needed to overcome the challenges they face. To date we have not gone far enough to tackle this issue. Among the world's most developed countries, Scotland currently has the fifth highest proportion of young people not in education, employment or training.
"The Executive has dramatically reduced child poverty and we are on course to end it in a generation. I believe education has a huge part to play. Schools can and do make a profound difference to the lives of their pupils and a more sustained effort on our part will help release the potential of more young people, and their communities, and help break the cycle of deprivation.
"Ambitious, Excellent Schools, our comprehensive schools modernisation programme, has already set in motion a number of reforms which will make a difference. In addition we need to go to a new level of action in particular communities.
"We should not under-estimate the challenges which lie ahead. Fixing the fallout of deprivation will require sustained effort for a generation and more. Education, together with all our other actions across the Executive's programmes, has the power to change lives and lift more children and families from a life of poverty."
Research by the Executive shows that:
- The difference in attainment between the 15 per cent most deprived areas and the whole of Scotland is roughly equivalent to the two Standard Grades (at award 3)
- In the same 15 per cent most deprived areas, 11 per cent of pupils leave school with no qualifications compared to 3 per cent in the rest of Scotland
- The 15 per cent most deprived areas account for 26 per cent of all absences