McAlpine welcomes increase in positive destinations for local school leavers

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South Scotland SNP MSP Joan McAlpine has welcomed the latest figures from the Scottish Government showing an increase in the number of Dumfries and Galloway school leavers going on to “positive destinations”. 
 
In 2015-16, 94.6% of Dumfries and Galloway’s school leavers went on to “positive destinations” such as education or employment – an increase of 1.5% in the past year, and up 6.7% since 2011-12.
 
Commenting, Joan McAlpine said:
 
“The SNP Government has made education its number one priority in this parliament and is committed to improving education standards in our schools and giving our young people the best opportunities in life.
 
“Schools across Dumfries and Galloway are benefitting from this commitment and are making excellent progress in helping our young people have the best chances in life.  Additional spending in the budget and the funding to close the attainment gap will go further still to helping more young people from Dumfries and Galloway find positive destinations after leaving school.
 
“I’m delighted to see 94.6% of school leavers in Dumfries and Galloway now going to positive destinations such as employment, training, university or college after leaving school. This shows the continued progress the SNP Scottish Government is making to give young people across Dumfries and Galloway the best start in life.”
 
 
Scottish Government figures show:
 
Table 4. Senior phase pupils with any positive initial destination by local authority, 2011/12 to 2015/16
 
Number of leavers
 
 
 
Percentage of leavers in a positive destination
Local Authority
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
Dumfries & Galloway
1564
1612
1554
1550
1474
87.9
91.8
90.9
93.1
94.6