SCOTLAND’S largest teaching union has warned that the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a disproportionate impact on disadvantaged young people.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) called for intervention as it claims that the consequences of the coronavirus could further entrench the disadvantage experienced by youngsters currently living in poverty.

EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has had a damaging impact on the education of young people right across Scotland, and it is young people already facing disadvantage who have felt this most acutely.

“Young people living in poverty were far more likely to disengage from education during the lockdown period for a wide range of reasons – including lack of access to IT equipment or suitable access to the internet.

“This has the potential to further entrench, or even widen, the poverty-related attainment gap.”

The Scottish government said that it has provided local authorities with £30 million to support families unable to access food as a result of Covid-19.