Shadow Education Minister Jamie Halcro Johnston has called on the Scottish Government to provide better information on the destinations of those leaving education in Scotland.
The Highlands and Islands MSP made his comments after questioning Skills Minister Jamie Hepburn in Parliament earlier this week, with the Minister agreeing to consider any suggestions.
Mr Halcro Johnston’s intervention comes after official figures revealed that attainment levels across multiple fields of educational qualifications had declined.
Speaking later, Mr Halcro Johnston said: “The SNP have, again and again, fallen back on the number of young people they claim are going into “positive destinations” after they leave education.
“What they don’t say is that virtually anything other than an unknown outcome or claiming unemployment benefits is considered positive by the Scottish Government’s definition.
“That does not provide an accurate picture of the destinations of our young people, how long they stay in those destinations, or the quality of those destinations. The worry is that it’s just another statistic the SNP use to distract from their ever-growing list of education failures.
“With the latest figures showing that attainment across multiple levels of qualification has declined, which limits the opportunities for young people to fulfil their potential, there needs to be more robust data provided by the Scottish Government. It’s vital we can get a clearer and more accurate picture of the on-going employment outcomes, educational journeys and destinations of our young people.
“I very much hope that the minister will act on my request, as without proper data, it is difficult to introduce the measures required to better support our young people.”
