New figures show that 95.8% of school leavers in the Scottish Borders are going on to further or higher education, employment or training, three months after leaving high school - up from 94.3% in 2015/16.

In East Lothian the figure is 94%, up from 93.5% in 2015/16.

Scotland as a whole has risen from 93.3% to 93.7% - showing that more young people across the country are finding opportunities after leaving school.

Paul said:

"We've been very clear that education has been our top priority over the course of this parliament and this news shows that we're on the right track.

"It's absolutely vital that we continue to create opportunities for young people to flourish and achieve their potential - whether that's through college or university, work or other training - to give them the skills and confidence they need to succeed in life.

"The fact that we have seen around a 6% rise in the Borders and 5.4% increase in East Lothian since 2011/12 is fantastic news for those young people who have achieved a positive destination, and through this it's great news for the economy and communities across the South of Scotland."