Mark McDonald

Answer · John Swinney · 28 Jan 2021

The information requested is not held centrally.
 

Answer · John Swinney · 29 Jan 2021

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the capacity and expertise of school staff to support pupils with visual impairments. We fund the Scottish Sensory Centre to provide specialist training to school staff to support pupils with a sensory impairment.
Education authorities are responsible for ensuring that teachers employed to teach pupils who are visually impaired hold an appropriate qualification. We will continue to work in partnership with them to ensure that the right support is in place to enable all children and young people to reach their full potential.

Answer · John Swinney · 28 Jan 2021

The information requested is not held centrally.
 

Answer · Richard Lochhead · 10 Mar 2020

Information on the total number of students withdrawing from medicine is not held centrally.
However, the following tables show the percentage of full-time and dormant first degree pre-clinical and clinical medical students who are recorded by HESA as withdrawing from their course during the academic year, by year of programme.
Proportion of those recorded as having withdrawn from full-time first degree pre-clinical and clinical medicine during the year, by year of programme
Year of Programme
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
1
0.5%
1.0%
1.6%
0.9%
1.3%
2
1.2%
0.9%
0.6%
0.3%
0.6%
3
0.6%
0.4%
1.2%
0.3%
1.0%
4
1.0%
0.6%
1.0%
0.5%
0.2%
5
0.3%
0.4%
0.8%
0.5%
0.1%
All students
4,760
4,715
4,690
4,680
4,860
All withdrawals
35
30
50
25
30
% withdrawals
0.7%
0.7%
1.0%
0.5%
0.7%
Source: HESA student data using the standard population, SG analysis.
Figures rounded to nearest 5 and proportions based on unrounded figures.
Based on variable enddate, i.e. the date when the student instance ended.
Note 1: Students who qualify from their course with a sub-degree classification (i.e. certificate or normal degree) are not included in the table as withdrawing.
Number of dormant records withdrawn from pre-clinical and clinical medicine during the year
Dormant Students
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
All students
110
120
110
130
110
All withdrawals
20
10
20
35
15
Source: HESA student data using the non-standard population, SG analysis
Figures rounded to nearest 5, proportions not included due to small numbers.
Note 2: HESA defines dormant records as students that are not actively studying at any time during the reporting period. Although some dormant records are students participating in an intercalated year.

Answer · Jeane Freeman · 11 Mar 2020

The Gateway to Medicine (G2M) programme is a pre-medical entry programme at Aberdeen University. There is also a pre-medical programme at Glasgow University (the Glasgow Access Programme).
In 2017-18 and 2018-19 – 40 places were awarded with 20 places going to both Aberdeen and Glasgow; in 2019-20 this was increased to 50 places and will remain at 50 places for 2020-21. These places will continue to be funded until 2022-23 when the success of the programmes will be evaluated.

Answer · Richard Lochhead · 11 Mar 2020

The following table shows the percentage of students who were on full-time first degree pre-clinical medicine courses at Scottish Universities and reported as being in the first year of programme of study* and the second year of study* in the HESA statistics.
Proportion of full-time first degree pre-clinical students in their first year of programme and second year of study
2014-15
2015-16
2016-14
2017-18
2018-19
2.4%
3.4%
5.0%
5.2%
5.5%
Source: HESA student data, SG analysis
* St Andrews has a different course structure than other Scottish HEIs and as such, a modification has been made to include these students in a similar way.