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Scotland’s Unionist media used this week’s Higher results as an opportunity to attack Scotland’s education system - been a Tory target for months as well as attacking the NHS operation in Scotland. They largely ignored or did not report that Scotland’s other widening access strategies mean that the percentage of students from the most deprived areas who attend university in Scotland is a whopping 50% higher than England’s.
These numbers are rising to record-breaking highs for those from the poorest areas and have also risen in nursing – but while STV reported this, most media outlets ignored it, focusing on raw exam results - SHAMELESSLY BIASED REPORTING!!
STV reported: “The number of 18-year-olds from the most deprived areas in Scotland being offered a place at university is at a record high, according to official statistics. UCAS data shows that the figure is up by 32% since 2019 – the last year there were exams. The figures indicate that the number of students accepting places to study nursing at Scottish providers also increased, up 17% to 2,940 compared to 2019.”
Scotland will likely improve on the tally of around 16% of students from deprived areas who have gone to Uni in the last few years – while England’s 11% has been stagnant for some time. Will the UK government face the same hostile press as Scotland’s if it does not improve on this? DON'T THINK SO!!