The 2022 exam results have shown the high pass rates of the previous two years had been partially caused by the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic. In addition, the post-pandemic results saw a marked increase in the attainment gap, putting the Scottish Governments efforts to limit this gap in question.
Passing grades for Higher exams in the most deprived areas of Scotland stood at 70 per cent, a drop of 13 per cent from last year. In contrast, passing grades for Higher exams in the least deprived areas of Scotland only fell by 6 per cent, from 91 to 85 per cent. As such the attainment gap has almost doubled, with strong results more likely to be decided by where a child goes to a school than it has in the last few years.
These problems with the attainment gap have persisted for years, despite promises by the Scottish Government to prioritise reducing it. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon identified the attainment gap as the litmus test of her legacy on education when she took office in 2014. That the gap has failed to close 8 years later is a testament to the failures of the Scottish Government at equalising educational opportunities for all Scots.
BAME Scots are disproportionately impacted by the attainment gap. According to a 2021 report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, “poverty levels for people in minority ethnic communities in Scotland are double the national average, and rising”. In addition, the figure rises to almost half of minority ethnic children living in poverty in Scotland, compared to the national figure of 24 per cent. Because of this, the attainment gap in education strongly affects BAME communities in Scotland, creating racial inequalities in education which can have long-term consequences.
Scottish Conservative education spokesman Oliver Mundell said: “The widening attainment gap is a badge of shame for the First Minister and a shocking indictment of the SNP’s dismal record on education.
“Nicola Sturgeon described eliminating it as the ‘defining mission’ of her Government, yet this year the gap has widened to a chasm again. It’s unforgivable that year after year, the SNP is failing talented pupils from poorer parts of the country. But it seems they are no longer serious about tackling this issue”
MSP Pam Gosal tweeted: “This year’s exam results show this SNP Government still needs to do more to tackle the attainment gap. The attainment gap for A-grades at a Higher level has risen to 23.2% - higher than any of the previous 4 years. Failure to prioritise education is costing pupils dearly”.
In conclusion, the 2022 SQA results show that perceived improvements over the last two years can be partially attributed to the exceptional circumstances under which the exams were taken. In reality, little structural enhancements have been made to improve the attainment gap over the last decade, disproportionately impacting BAME Scots. It has been clear that the current education system has struggled to solve this problem, and yet the Scottish Government has remained reluctant to change its approach to reducing the attainment gap, jeopardising the education of thousands of Scottish children.