The number of teenagers finding working after school reached its lowest level for a decade in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, new figures show.

Scottish government statistics also reveal that more than twice as many youngsters in the least deprived areas went to university after school, compared with those from the poorest parts of the country, resulting in a gap of 35.6 percentage points - the biggest gap since 2015-16.

Overall, 92.2 per cent of those who left school in 2019-20 were in what was classed as a “positive follow-up destination” - such as college, university, training or a job - by April 2021. This was down slightly from the 92.9 per cent of school leavers the previous year.

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University was the most common choice for those leaving school in 2019-20, with 42.9 per cent ending up in higher education - higher than the 38.4 per cent the previous year - and the largest share since consistent records began in 2009-10.

The impact of Covid: School leavers less likely to be in work

The figures showed that in the most deprived parts of Scotland just over a quarter (27 per cent) of school leavers last year went on to university, compared with almost two-thirds (62.6 per cent) in the most affluent communities.

In the poorest parts of Scotland, college was the most common destination, with 31.5 per cent of leavers heading for further education, while 20.5 per cent went into work, but one in 10 (10.8 per cent) were out of work.

This compares with just 3.6 per cent of leavers from the least deprived areas being out of work by April 2021.

A total of 47,351 teenagers finished school in 2019-20, the smallest number since consistent records began in 2009-10.

With just 11.4 per cent of leavers being S4 students, and 25.8 per cent from S5, the report notes that “it is possible that some S4 and S5 pupils who might have otherwise left school in 2019-20 decided instead to stay at school for reasons related to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.”

As well as 42.9 per cent of leavers going on to higher education, the figures showed a very slight increase in the proportion going to college - with this rising from 23.3 per cent for those leaving in 2018-19 to 23.6 per cent in 2019-20.

However, the proportion of youngsters who went into work after leaving school fell from 28 per cent in 2018-19 to 21.3 per cent - the lowest figure since 2009-10.

At the same time, the proportion who were unemployed after leaving school increased from 5.8 per cent to 6.8 per cent.

In the past, Tes Scotland has highlighted that the figures on school leavers who are employed are problematic because to be classed as employed, these school leavers simply have to “consider themselves to be employed and in receipt of payment from their employers” - which means they could be on zero-hours contracts.

Where young people end up after leaving school “may reflect both choices made by pupils, as well as the opportunities available to them”, the report notes.

For the latest group of leavers, it says that “the availability of particular opportunities to 2019-20 school leavers may have been directly affected by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic (employment opportunities, for example)”.

It also noted that leavers’ options may “have been affected by the impact of the 2020 certification approach on school leaver attainment”.

The Scottish government’s Young Person’s Guarantee scheme, announced in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, promises the “opportunity of a job, placement, training or volunteering for every 16- to 24-year-old in Scotland”.

But Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Beatrice Wishart said the new figures showed a “noticeable rise in the number of young people who are unemployed and not looking for work”.

She added: “Scottish Liberal Democrats are committed to delivering a job guarantee for every 16- to 24-year-old so that they all have access to a job or training.

“The Scottish government needs to expand support for apprenticeships, offer jobs through public agencies and deliver new programmes for the creative industries to ensure that no one gets left out in the cold.”

Scottish Labour education spokesman Michael Marra said the figures “underlined the deep inequality in Scottish education that has been made worse by the pandemic”.

He called on the Scottish government and the SQA to “rethink their unfair appeals process to avoid enshrining inequality further in Scottish education”, adding: “We need action to tackle this inequality and we need it now. We need a radical national education comeback plan with the resources to match.”

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition drew attention to the falling levels of school leavers with additional support needs (ASN) in positive destinations.

While 87.2 per cent of leavers last year with ASN were in a positive destination nine months after leaving school, this was a drop on the previous year when the figure was 87.9 per cent. For those with no ASN, the figures are 94.9 per cent and 95.1 per cent respectively.

A spokesperson said: “As the impact of Covid-19 becomes more evident, we anticipate this gap growing and it is crucial that resourcing is targeted at those individuals with ASN to give them the best possible opportunities, both in the classroom and as they transition beyond it.”