Clackmannanshire’s education convener is determined to secure a better future for all of Clackmannanshire’s young people.

In the wake of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s warning last week, which said that schools, colleges and universities should close the attainment gap between better-off and less well-off children, local councillor Ellen Forson spoke to the Advertiser to outline her plans for tackling the issue.

She said: “We are ambitious for all Clackmannanshire’s young people, and are determined to secure improved educational outcomes for all our children and young people.

“Through educational success, young people, particularly those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, will maximise their life chances and secure their future economic well-being.

“The education service will be presenting a Raising Attainment report to this Thursday’s Education, Sport and Leisure Committee which builds upon the success of schools and other educational settings in raising attainment and progress.

“If agreed, this will guide a focused plan to support learning with six key themes – increasing ambition, family & community, enabled leadership, excellent learning & teaching, literacy & numeracy and data analysis.

“There is a strong emphasis on working with partners to support learners at risk of under-performance, and to support early and systematic intervention to break the cycle of disadvantage and to close the attainment gap between the highest and lowest attainers.” Rt. Hon. Alan Milburn, chair of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, warned in Edinburgh last week that too many children in Scotland are not fulfilling their potential.

Those who live in the most deprived areas are only half as likely to be performing “very well” in the last year of primary school compared to pupils from the most advantaged areas. As the Advertiser reported at the end of October, Clackmannanshire is amongst the worst-affected areas for child poverty in Scotland.

Mr Milburn further highlighted figures from the commission’s annual report, which was published last month.

Only one in 10 young people who live in the most deprived areas get at least five Highers at level 6 or above compared to one in four of others.

Young people from the poorest backgrounds – those eligible for free school meals – are almost three times as likely to drop out after leaving school than others, with 22.5 per cent not in education or work, according to the Scottish Government’s own figures.

Douglas Hamilton, Scottish commissioner for the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission said: “There is an urgent need for action on the future education and career opportunities for Scotland’s young people.

“This is a problem that cuts across the whole of Britain where elites continue to dominate the top jobs, and opportunities for young people from less affluent background are restricted. Scottish data on educational achievement and access to higher education points to entrenched inequalities which will make social mobility less likely in the years to come.”