Schools in Scotland have recorded a rise in the number of students with origins in the Indian subcontinent and a decline in those categorised as "white UK", official figures reveal.
According to figures released by the Scottish executive, Scotland's schools are now more ethnically diverse than ever before. The number of pupils from ethnic minorities has increased over the past 12 months while the number of white pupils has fallen.
The figures also confirm that overall pupil rolls are continuing to fall in line with Scotland's dwindling population, as are the number of schools. The number of pupils classified as "white UK" has dropped from 663,007 to 656,059 in the past year.
The figures reveal that over the same period, the number of pupils described as Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese or African have all shown an increase.
The figures for pupils from the Indian sub-continent were: Asian/Indian 2,223; Asian/Pakistani 8,753; Asian/Bangladeshi 499; Asian/Chinese 2,276; Asian/other 1,906.
Ali Jarvis, the interim director of the Commission for Racial Equality in Scotland, told the local media that she was pleased at the results of the census.
{{/usCountry}}Ali Jarvis, the interim director of the Commission for Racial Equality in Scotland, told the local media that she was pleased at the results of the census.
{{/usCountry}}She said: "Scotland should welcome this diversity, which can bring enormous economic, social and cultural benefits to our country."