Poorer Scots 'fail to reach higher education'

But education secretary Michael Russell claimed that "participation rates are increasing" due to the government's abolition of tuition fees.

Mr Russell was forced onto the defensive after the Universities UK report revealed just 28.1 per cent of students in Scotland in 2008-9 were from lower social economic groups such as shop workers, compared to 32.4 per cent for England and 32.5 per cent for Wales - where tuition fees are still in place. Labour's higher education spokeswoman, Claire Baker, said: "This report clearly reveals that despite the SNP's decision to get rid of a graduate contribution, Scotland is the worst in the UK when it comes to widening access to university. The SNP's failure to tackle widening access to higher education and deal with the main concerns of students is becoming very clear."

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The education secretary disputed the report's findings. He said: "The figures demonstrate just the opposite. The relatively low level of students entering higher education from more deprived backgrounds has been a longstanding problem going back decades. Since we abolished the graduate endowment in 2008, participation in higher education from deprived areas actually rose to 24.8 per cent in 2008-9 - the first such increase in four years.

"Statistics which consider the whole of the Scottish Higher Education sector - universities and colleges - show that under this administration the proportion of young people from deprived areas in Scotland in higher education in 2008-9 was 24.8 per cent, a 1.4 per cent increase over the previous academic year.

"This report is not representative and does not reflect the true picture in Scotland. Higher education is delivered differently in Scotland to the rest of the UK. These figures do not include colleges, where 20 per cent of higher education is delivered in Scotland.

"This is not the case in the rest of the UK. The figures ignore part-time and older learners - both these groups have higher participation levels for deprived areas."

POVERTY GAP

Children from wealthier homes in Scotland perform around 60 per cent better in exams on average than those from poorer backgrounds who are entitled to free school meals.

Save the Children said the Scottish Government must prioritise "high-quality additional support" for youngsters from poorer backgrounds.

Statistics reveal that the largest gap in average attainment was in Stirling, where those who did not receive free school meals performed 102 per cent better than those who did.

Dundee was second with 91 per cent followed by the Shetland Islands with 89 per cent. In Glasgow it was 40 per cent and in Edinburgh it was 62 per cent.

The smallest gap was in the Western Isles at 19 per cent.