Created on: 05 Aug 2025
Scotland’s SQA qualifications results have highlighted impressive achievements by young people across Scotland in vocational and technical qualifications and in National 4, National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher.
The results, achieved at a time of significant strain across the education sector, are a credit to students, their families, and to teachers and lecturers across Scotland.
Commenting on the national results, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “Today’s SQA qualifications results are overall a good news story for Scotland’s students and their families. The results achieved in all levels of National Qualifications, together with the increase in the number of vocational and technical qualifications achieved, are a testament to the hard work of students and the dedication and determination of teachers, lecturers and support staff who have supported them at a time when resourcing challenges in education have continued to put students and staff alike under extreme pressure.”
Ms Bradley continued, “The increase in the number of vocational and technical qualifications is of particular note, and highlights the appetite amongst Scotland’s young people and their teachers and lecturers, for schools and colleges to be able to deliver a diversity of qualification pathways which are esteemed equally."
“Whilst we welcome the slight improvement in the closing of the poverty-related attainment gap, there is still some way to go to meet the Scottish Government’s pledge to eliminate the impact of poverty in education. With the next Scottish Parliament election now less than a year away, young people across Scotland, their parents and carers, and Scotland’s teachers and lecturers will expect to see further solid steps taken to tackle the scourge of poverty and its impacts on young people’s education in the months ahead.”
Ms Bradley added, “Although we may be seeing some green shoots of recovery in achievement, many young people are still experiencing the long-lasting societal and educational impacts of the pandemic period, coupled with years of austerity, while schools, colleges, teachers and lecturers continue to try to respond to the growing needs of learners with insufficient numbers of teaching staff and other professionals, and the resultant severe workload pressures that continue to be placed on all education staff. If Scotland is to eradicate the poverty-related attainment gap and deliver an education system that truly and equitably meets the diverse needs of all learners, then greater investment in schools and colleges, in resources, and in teaching and support staff, is essential. The EIS congratulates Scotland’s learners, and their teachers and lecturers, on the results published today and reiterates our determination to continue campaigning for the requisite investment in our education system to enable further progress in the future.”