PUPILS as young as 13 are being asked to choose their future career path when they are often unsure what they want to do, colleges have warned.

Colleges Scotland, the umbrella body for further education institutions, has called for pupil choices to be deferred beyond the second year of secondary school

to give them extra time.

The warning comes in a submission to the Scottish Parliament's education committee, which is examining how to close the attainment gap between schools in disadvantaged areas and those in more affluent communities - with a particular focus on vocational options.

The Colleges Scotland submission states: "Any system that defers choice for young people is to be preferred to one that forces choice at a time when young people are often unsure of themselves and their future career path.

"The present school system unfortunately often forces such choices on young people towards the end of the broad general education phase - as early as S2 in some schools.

"Having the opportunity to experience and understand better what is involved in a particular vocational area will help pupils and their parents or guardians make informed choices for their next steps."

The submission concludes by arguing that an increase in college funding would have a "significant impact" on the range of vocational opportunities offered to young people.

However, the view that choices should be put off until later appeared to be contradicted in a report by MSPs from the education committee following a visit to Wester Hailes Education Centre in Edinburgh.

Their report states: "There is a degree of boredom for some pupils during S1-3 as they have to take certain classes and their ability to choose their preferred options is therefore diminished. Staff considered that the school could have even earlier engagement with employers."

In a separate submission, directors of education called for a more general approach to academic and vocational training, warning against splitting children into separate streams.

The Association of Directors of Education Scotland (ADES) also warned that vocational education was still seen as a poor relation to academic qualifications.

The submission states: "For all the talk over the years of achieving parity of esteem for vocational and academic education, vocational education in its broadest sense has remained something of the poor relation in the eyes of many.

"It is the view of ADES that all young people are entitled to an education which is tailored to their academic and vocational needs. This means that vocational education should not be seen as something which is only relevant for the less academic students.

"It is only when this is accepted by all stakeholders in Scottish education, including, crucially, parents, who have such a profound influence on the aspirations of their children, that true parity of esteem will be achieved."

ADES also wants to see more involvement from employers stating: "It is essential that employers also sign up to this agenda. Given the lack of engagement by most employers with education..... it will be essential to persuade employers, especially small employers, that they both have something to contribute to this agenda and have something to gain from it."