Attainment gap has increased since devolution

SCOTLAND has always had an independent education system but, since devolution, critics have pointed to an increasing attainment gap between Scottish students and their counterparts south of the Border.

Last year, researchers at Glasgow University determined achievement among Scottish pupils had remained static since devolution, with around 50 per cent of pupils achieving five or more good passes at Standard grade level.

In England, it was noted, the pass rates for GCSEs had increased from 44 to 62 per cent; in Wales from 48 to 54 per cent and in Northern Ireland from 56 to 65 per cent. This is despite spending being around 20 to 30 per cent higher per pupil north of the Border. Critics claimed the gap has been widened by "populist policies" pursued by successive administrations keen to make the Scottish education system distinctive, at the expense of its effectiveness.

In higher education, participation rates have fallen from 49 per cent in 1998 to 47 per cent, while increasing from 39 per cent to 40 per cent in England over the same period. The change came despite the abolition of tuition fees north of the Border.