'Huge waste of talent’ as bright disadvantaged teens ‘lag behind’

Bright, poor teenagers in Scotland lag more than two and a half years behind their classmates in core academic subjects, according to new research.

The Sutton Trust, which published the study, said it was staggering'' these youngsters are so far behind, warning it is ahuge waste of talent''.

The study uses the latest results from international PISA tests to examine the performance of 10% of the most able pupils in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, taking into account their background.

It concludes that bright disadvantaged pupils in Scotland are about two years and seven months behind their well-off classmates in science and maths, while in reading they are about two years and two months of schooling behind.

It adds: “There has been no improvement in the reading, science and mathematics skills of the highest-achieving pupils across the UK since 2006, including those from disadvantaged social backgrounds. In some parts of the UK (Wales and Northern Ireland) there have been falls in some subjects (science).

“The situation for high-achieving pupils across the UK has therefore been stagnant at best.”

Here’s Scottish Labour’s education spokesman is Iain Gray: