Colleges Failing To Take In Enough Disadvantaged Students

More than half of Scotland’s colleges fail to take in enough students from the country’s most deprived areas, MSPs will be told in a damning report today.

The public audit committee will be shown how 16 of Scotland’s 27 colleges do not admit enough of the poorest 10 per cent of young people.

It is the latest blow to the SNP over its record on closing the attainment gap and ensuring all school leavers have the same opportunities, regardless of the background they come from.

Colleges in Aberdeen, the Borders, Fife, the Highlands and West Lothian all take in less than the target 10 per cent of the poorest students.

In other areas, like Glasgow, the success rate is much higher.

MSPs at the Holyrood committee will be presented with a paper which details what proportion of the poorest 10 per cent of students each college and region takes.

For a fair intake, colleges should aim to take at least 10 per cent of these students in, but the report shows many to be falling short.

Last month, the Scottish Conservatives revealed that Scotland lagged behind the rest of the UK in getting less privileged students to university, with only nine per cent attending compared to 17 per cent in England.

And repeated studies have found the SNP is failing to close the attainment gap in schools right across the country.

Around 140,000 college places have been cut by the SNP, and the real-terms colleges budget has also been slashed.

Deeply worrying

Scottish Conservative young people spokeswoman Liz Smith said:

“College is such a crucial way for young people to get the skills and qualifications they need to build a successful career for themselves.

“But right across Scotland, nothing like enough students from the poorest backgrounds – the ones who need our help the most – are gaining entry.

“This is yet another deeply worrying statistic which proves the SNP just isn’t doing enough to close the attainment gap or to increase opportunity among Scotland’s least privileged.

“This is one of the major education challenges of the 21^st century, and barely a month goes by that proves the SNP is not up to the task.

“It’s bad enough it slashed 140,000 college places, but now it seems those courses remaining are not sufficient to help those who need them the most.”

A spokesperson for Fife College said: “Fife College is committed to encouraging students from deprived areas within Fife to access College and we work hard with our partners in schools, Fife Council and support services to achieve this.
 
“Recent budget cuts are having a significant impact on the courses we are able to offer, especially part-time places which are often the best option for students who have less opportunities available to them and have work or family commitments.  
 
“Our work on ground-breaking projects however, such as the new Levenmouth Campus, a new ‘super high school’ due to open next summer, will ensure clear pathways to learning, training and employment for local people who live in one of the most deprived areas in Fife.”