ANNOUNCING her recent programme for government, the First Minister talked about how the education measures contained within it would provide more and better opportunities for youngsters at every stage in the system, from pre-school to higher education, especially those from poorer backgrounds.

Ms Sturgeon often talks about her commitment to closing the attainment gap between the wealthiest children and their counterparts from the most deprived areas, indeed she has staked her very reputation upon it.

New data from the Scottish Funding Council on the numbers of young people from poor backgrounds going to university highlight just how difficult this will be to achieve, however.

The Commission for Widening Access set up by the Scottish Government wants 20 per cent of such children to go to university by 2030, and though the numbers are rising, it is not happening quickly.

In 2014-15, 14.7 per cent of university students came from the poorest backgrounds, up from 11.6 per cent in 2009-10. In 2015-16, however, the level rose only very marginally to 14.8 per cent. If the interim 16 per cent target is to be met by 2021, progress will have to hasten.

To this end, Shirley-Anne Somerville, the minister in charge of higher education, stressed the need to “go further, faster”, saying universities and colleges needed to do more to implement all the Commission’s recommendations. It will certainly be interesting to see whether the measures make a difference.

On the back of the figures, Ms Somerville was right to highlight the fact that over a third of those leaving further education with a qualification go on to university, demonstrating the important role colleges play in feeding higher education institutions.

A new report by the respected Fraser of Allander Institute, meanwhile, demonstrates the contribution colleges make to the wider Scottish economy. The economic body put the figure at £20 billion, representing a boost of £55,000 per graduate throughout their working lives. With this in mind, it is crucial that we give colleges the funding they need to help our people progress in life, whether that is to a place at university or a job.

Interestingly, Ms Somerville did not choose to highlight another statistic in the Funding Council figures, one that suggests 30 per cent of students from the poorest backgrounds drop out of further education.

Universities are better at retaining young people, but since the rate of drop-out among those from deprived areas is twice that of their more affluent peers, there is certainly no room there for complacency.

All these latest figures remind us that progress is hard to make when it comes to closing the attainment gap. But they should also make us think about the wider education landscape, too, and while widening student access is important, we should ensure we do not take our eye off the ball when it comes to retention.