Life at age 17: initial findings from the Growing Up in Scotland study (Sweep 11)

2 Educational experiences

This chapter includes findings from questions asked to the young people about their experiences and views of school, further and higher education, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their learning.

2.1 School experiences

2.1.1 Attending school

Around half of young people (47.0%) reported that they were currently attending school. As shown in figure 2-A, school attendance differed by area deprivation, with young people in more deprived areas less likely than those in less deprived areas to be attending school.

Base: All young people (2356); SIMD quintile 1 – 20% most deprived (423); 2 (400); 3 (386); 4 (558); SIMD quintile 5 – 20% least deprived (589)

The majority of those currently attending school were in S6 (96.6%) and were attending full-time (95.2%). Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to be attending full-time (91.1% compared with 97.0%).

2.2 Recent experience of school and attitudes towards school

2.2.1 Experiences of those currently attending school

Young people who were still attending school or who had attended school at Sweep 10 were asked how often they experienced different things at school. As shown in Figure 2‑B, most young people were told by a teacher that their work was good, with 82.5% of young people reporting that this happened ‘very often’ or ‘often’. Most (79.2%) young people reported that they were encouraged to ask questions in class ‘very often’ or ‘often’. Only 16.8% of young people reported being told off by a teacher for untidy or late work ‘very often’ or ‘often’, and 11.6% of young people reported that they were told off by a teacher for misbehaving in class ‘very often’ or ‘often’.

Base: All young people currently attending school or who attended school at sweep 10 (varies per item 2204-2205)

Young men were told by a teacher that their work was good less frequently (15.4% said this happened ‘very often’ compared with 27.0% of young women). Young disabled people were less likely to say this happened ‘very often’ or ‘often’ (74.6% compared with 86.1% of young non-disabled people).

Young people in the most deprived quintile were encouraged to ask questions less often than young people in less deprived quintiles – 71.3% in SIMD 1 were encouraged to ask questions ‘often’ or ‘very often’ compared with between 78.8% and 82.2% in other SIMD quintiles.

Young men were told off for late or untidy work more often – 21.1% of young men were told off ‘very often’ or ‘often’ for this while this was the case for 12.7% of young women. Young disabled people were told off for late or untidy work more often (22.8% said this happened ‘very often’ or ‘often’ compared with 14.1% of young non-disabled people). Those in more deprived areas were also told off for their work being untidy or done late more frequently than those in less deprived areas – 25.6% in SIMD 1 were told off ‘often’ or ‘very often’ compared with 12.5% in SIMD 5.

Young men were told off for misbehaving in class more often than young women: 38.7% of young men said this ‘never’ happened to them compared with 64.4% of young women. Those in the most deprived quintile were more likely than young people in less deprived quintiles to report being told off for misbehaving in class ‘often’ or ‘very often (16.5% in SIMD 1 compared with between 9.0% and 12.1% in SIMD 2,3,4 and 5).

2.2.2 School work pressure

Young people who were currently attending school were also asked how pressured they felt by the schoolwork they had to do, both in class and at home. Most reported that they felt ‘a little pressure’ (45.8%), or ‘quite a lot’ of pressure (32.2%), with 13.0% reporting that they felt ‘a lot’ of pressure, and 9.0% reporting that they felt ‘no pressure at all’. Young women felt more pressured (19.0% felt ‘a lot’ of pressure compared with 6.2% of young men). Young disabled people also felt more pressured (18.6% felt ‘a lot’ of pressure compared with 11.1% of young non-disabled people).

2.3 Experiences of those not currently attending school

2.3.1 Reasons for leaving school

Those who were no longer attending school were also asked their main reasons for leaving (Figure 2-C). The most common reason for leaving school was to go to college or university (53.0%), followed by being fed up with school (34.4%) and wanting to work (21.0%).

Base: All young people who had left school (1184)

Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to report that they left school because they were not doing well (29.1% compared with 12.2%) or were fed up with school (45.0% compared with 30.6%). Conversely, young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to report leaving school because they already had the results they needed (9.4% compared with 19.5%), to start an apprenticeship or employment training programme (3.6% compared with 14.0%), or because they wanted to work (10.8% compared with 21.7%).

2.3.2 Experiences at school

Young people who were not currently attending school were also asked whether they agreed or disagreed with a series of statements about their experiences at school. These statements included: school had helped give them confidence to make decisions; school had done little to prepare them for life after school; schoolwork was generally worth doing; and finally, that their teachers had helped them to do their best.

As seen in Figure 2‑D, just under half of young people not currently attending school (47.2%) ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that school had helped give them the confidence to make decisions. Around four in ten young people (39.6%) ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that school had done little to prepare them for life after school, and around half (51.0%) ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that schoolwork was generally worth doing. Most young people not currently attending school (72.4%) ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that their teachers helped them to do their best.

Base: All young people not currently attending school (varies per item 1184-1185)

Young women were more likely than young men to ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that schoolwork was worth doing (55.7% compared with 46.6%).

Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that school had helped give them the confidence to make decisions (28.1% compared with 55.3%), and more likely to ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that school had done little to prepare them for life after school (48.7% compared with 33.9%). Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that their teachers helped them to do their best (60.2% compared with 77.1%).

2.4 Subject choices

Young people who were currently attending school in S5 or S6 and those who had left school after starting S5 were asked about their subject choices and reasons for choosing subjects in S5 and S6. They were able to choose up to three reasons.

The most common reason young people gave for choosing a subject in both S5 and S6 was that they liked doing it (72.1% and 66.6%), followed by the subject being needed for a career (46.4% and 44.6%).

Base: All young people who chose subjects in S5 (2132) and S6 (1733)

Young men were more likely than young women to choose a subject in S5 because their parents advised it (23.2% compared with 17.2%), and because their friends would be doing the subject (12.5% compared with 6.1%). Young women were more likely than young men to choose a subject in S5 because they needed the subject for Highers or further education (48.7% compared with 40.9%) or because it fitted their timetable/other subjects did not fit their timetable (9.2% compared with 5.0%).

Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to choose a subject in S5 because they liked doing it (65.6% compared with 74.2%).

Young people in the most deprived quintile were more likely than those in the least deprived quintile to choose a subject in S5 because their friends would be doing the subject (13.1% in SIMD 1 compared with 6.3% in SIMD 5), but less likely to report choosing a subject because their parents had advised them to take it (14.3% in SIMD 1 compared with 24.1% in SIMD 5).

Young men were more likely than young women to choose an S6 subject because their parents advised them to study it (18.2% compared with 11.4%), and to say they chose it because their friends would be doing the subject (14.1% compared with 8.4%). Young women were more likely than young men to choose a subject in S6 because the subject was different to others they have done before (10.5% compared with 7.2%).

Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to choose a subject in S6 because it was different from the subjects they had done in school before (4.3% compared with 9.8%).

2.5 Work experience

All young people were also asked about any work experience they had had while at school – 34.1% said they had. This work experience was primarily ‘general work experience’ (58.4%), though around a third (34.0%) reported that their work experience was a ‘work placement which was part of a specific subject or course’. Young women were more likely than young men to have done work experience at school (37.5% compared with 30.7%).

2.6 Further and higher education

2.6.1 Whether studying at college or university

Around a quarter (27.2%) of young people said they were currently studying at college or university, with 21.7% of young people studying at college, and 5.5% studying at university.

Young men were more likely than young women to be studying at college (25.9% compared with 17.8%), and young women were more likely than young men to be studying at university (7.5% compared with 3.4%). Young people in more deprived areas were more likely than those in less deprived areas to be studying at college (27.5% of those in SIMD 1, compared with 14.0% of those in SIMD 5).

Of those currently studying at college or university, 71.4% were studying full-time and 28.6% part-time. Young women were more likely than young men to be studying full-time (77.8% compared with 65.6%).

2.6.2 Qualifications studying for

The most common qualifications young people who were at college or university were currently studying for were a Higher National Certificate (HNCs) (21.1%) or a degree (20.3%) (Figure 2‑F).

Base: All young people (2354)

Young women were more likely than young men to be studying for a degree (28.9% compared with 12.3%) or for Highers (10.5% compared with 4.2%), while young men were more likely than young women to be studying an HNC (26.6% compared with 15.2%) or ‘other’ qualifications (21.3% compared with 10.1%).

Young disabled people attending college or university were more likely than young non-disabled people to be studying Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ) (20.5% compared with 10.4%) and ‘other’ qualifications (25.2% compared with 12.8%) and were less likely to be studying for an HNC (5.6% compared with 24.6%).

2.6.3 Other qualifications applied for

All young people were asked if they had applied for any education or training programmes during the last two years, other than any which they were currently enrolled on. As shown in Figure 2‑G, around half of young people (52.4%) had not applied for any other courses, while around a quarter (24.9%) had applied for a degree course.

Base: All young people (2354)

Young women were more likely than young men to have applied for any other courses (57.7% compared with 44.6%), including a degree course (30.3% compared with 19.3%) and National Certificate courses (4.0% compared with 2.0%). Young men were more to have applied for Modern Apprenticeships (4.1% compared with 1.6% of young women).

Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to have applied for a degree course (20.1% compared with 28.3%).

Young people in more deprived areas were less likely than those in less deprived areas to have applied for a degree course (12.7% in SIMD 1 compared with 36.4% in SIMD 5). Conversely, they were more likely to have applied for an HNC or Advanced Certificate, National Certificate courses (17.3% in SIMD 1 compared with 5.0% in SIMD 5).

2.7 Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on learning

2.7.1 Covid-19 impact on school experiences

All young people were asked about their experiences of schoolwork at home during the coronavirus lockdown. Responses to four statements are shown in Figure 2‑H.

Base: All young people (varies per item 2340-2343)

As shown, the vast majority of young people (91.8%) said it was ‘always true’ that they had access to a computer, laptop, or tablet at home when they needed it for study. Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to report that this was ‘always true’ (87.6% compared with 94.3%). Young people in more deprived areas were less likely than those in less deprived areas to report having access to a computer, laptop or tablet (85.8% in SIMD 1 said it was ‘always true’ compared with 95.7% in SIMD 5).

As also shown in Figure 2‑H, when asked whether they gave up on trying to study until school or college reopened, a little under half (44.6%) of young people reported that this was ‘sometimes true’, 15.5% reported it was ‘always true’ and 39.8% said this was ‘not true’. Young men were more likely than young women to report that this was ‘always true’ (18.0% compared with 13.1%), and young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to report that it was ‘always true’ (22.5% compared with 12.2%). Young people in more deprived areas were more likely than those in less deprived areas to say they gave up on studying (25.5% in SIMD 1 said it was ‘always true’ compared with 8.3% in SIMD 5).

Young people were also asked whether someone at home helped with their coursework when they needed it during lockdown. Most young people reported that this was ‘always true’ (35.8%) or ‘sometimes true’ (43.2%), with around a fifth (21.0%) reporting that this was ‘not true’. Young people in more deprived areas were more likely than those in less deprived areas to say that this was ‘not true’ (27.5% in SIMD 1 said this compared with 15.6% in SIMD 5).

When asked if they had the support they needed from their teachers during lockdown, most young people reported that this was ‘always true’ (39.0%) or ‘sometimes true’ (48.4%), with 12.5% reporting that this was ‘not true’. Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to report that this was ‘not true’ (23.7% compared with 9.5%). Young people in more deprived quintiles were more likely than those in less deprived areas to report that this was ‘not true’ (15.3% in SIMD 1 said this compared with 9.6% in SIMD 5).

2.7.2 Worries about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic

Young people were also asked a series of questions measuring their concern about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their education, training and job prospects. As shown in Figure 2‑I, over a third of young people ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ with each statement.

Base: All young people (varies per item 2351-2352)

Young women were more likely than young men to ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ with all three statements:

• Worried about the time they had missed at school, college, or training because of the coronavirus outbreak – 48.2% compared with 34.8%.
• Worried about the impact the coronavirus outbreak had had on their qualifications or training – 54.6% compared with 39.1%.
• Worried about the long-term impact of coronavirus outbreak on their job prospects – 46.4% compared with 33.1%.