THE attainment gap for Scotland’s poorest pupils is stark and worsening due to the pandemic, campaigners have said.

New research published today by the Poverty Alliance found that the disparity begins in the early years of education and grows wider over time.

In 2019, 43.5 per cent of pupils in the most deprived areas achieved one or more Higher qualifications when leaving school, compared to almost 79.3 per cent of pupils living in the least deprived areas.

Inequalities continued after school years, with about one in 10 young people in the most deprived areas being unemployed after the age of 16 compared to one in 40 for the least deprived.

Emerging evidence is showing that the pandemic is affecting children in poorer areas more due to lack of access to digital and education resources, the report said.

Poverty Alliance director Peter Kelly said: “We know that the pandemic is compounding the gap.

“But we also know the action that we have to take to loosen the grip of poverty on the lives of families across Scotland, and to ensure that every young person in Scotland has access to the same opportunities.

“That means using every lever at our disposal to boost family incomes, as well as increasing support for interventions.”

Chief executive of anti-poverty charity Robertson Trust Jim McCormick called the report “particularly concerning.” 

A Scottish government spokesman said it agreed that closing the gap has been harder due to coronavirus, and that tackling this “remains a defining mission” of the administration, pointing to additional funding provided.

He added: “However, we will always be open to discussing with others how we can go further to ensure that every child and young person has an equal start in life.”