THE number of Scottish school leavers who went on to college or university reached the highest level on record last year, Education Secretary John Swinney announced yesterday.

The latest figures on the destinations of leavers showed that more than three out of five decided to continue their education after finishing at the end of the 2018/19 school year – 38.4% of students went on to higher education last year, while 23.3% opted for further education.

The proportion of those undertaking a course at university fell slightly from the 39% reported in the year 2017/18, though the numbers for further education have increased from 22.6%.

Scottish Government statistics also showed that as of April this year, 92.9% of those who left last year had been classed as being in a “positive destination”.

That suggested that they had gone on to study at college or university, or started employment or training.

This figure was down, however, from 93.3% the previous year.

The report stressed that these statistics were from early on in the month of April and “therefore will not reflect the full impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic”.

More than a quarter (28%) of the most recent group of school leavers reported going on to find work – down slightly from the 28.3% who went into employment in the previous year.

A further 2.3% of school leavers went into training, while 5.8% reported being unemployed.

But it was also revealed that the levels of unemployment for children in the country’s most deprived areas saw one in 10 of them being left unemployed after secondary school, with 9.9% out of work.

Of those, 2.6% in more well-off communities were also found to be unemployed – leaving the proportion of those claiming unemployment benefits in deprived areas almost four times higher than their fellow leavers.

Overall, the “deprivation gap” decreased, with 88.3% of those in the poorest areas being classed as being in a positive destination. The figure for those from the most affluent communities sits at 96.7%.

While more than half (57.2%) of leavers from the least deprived areas of Scotland opted to go on to higher education, just 24.5% from the most deprived areas went on to do so.

Just less than one-third (31.5%) of teenagers from the more well-off areas went on to study in further education, compared to 14.5% in poorer locations.

Swinney, who is also deputy First Minister, said: “While the proportion of young people studying, training or working within nine months of leaving school has fallen slightly since last year, it is still historically high and testament to the Curriculum for Excellence that gives young people the necessary skills and experiences to progress in life.”

He continued: “Closing the poverty-related attainment gap remains our defining mission and the gap between young Scots from the most and least deprived areas entering a positive destination has closed significantly over the last decade.

“In addition, the proportion of young people going on to further and higher education combined is the highest on record.

But, he warned: “The Covid-19 pandemic will undoubtedly make it harder, too, for all young people to fulfil their full potential, regardless of their background, and I am determined to support young people through this crisis and succeed in closing the gap.”