The consequences of social and economic inequalityHow does inequality affect education?
Social and economic inequality can have profound effects on the welfare, quality of life and opportunities for individuals, families, communities and society as a whole.
There are many negative consequences that arise from inequality in society. There are clear links between poverty and a lack of success in education.
Living in poverty affects a child鈥檚 chances of achieving in school. For example, as growing up in poverty affects good health, children from the most deprived areas are more likely to miss school which harms their progress in education.
Literacy and numeracy
In 2021/22, the Scottish Government reported that in S3, 93.6% of pupils from the least deprived areas in Scotland achieved Third Level or better in literacy by the end of S3 compared to only 77.3% in the most deprived areas in Scotland.
For numeracy, the figures for children achieving Third Level of better by the end of S3 were 95.9% for the least deprived areas compared to only 80.9% in the most deprived areas in 2021/22.