A JOURNALISM student has been left devastated after being told a disability means he will miss out on a qualification at the end of his course.

Johnstone teenager Kyle Gunn, who has cerebral palsy, has spent the past year completing a NQ Media Studies qualification at Glasgow Clyde College.

Like many of his fellow students, he now wants to move on to the two-year HND Practical Journalism course.

However, that course includes shorthand, which Kyle is unable to do as a result of his disability.

And the 19-year-old says he has been told by the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) that, without shorthand, he would not be awarded the HND qualification at the end of the course.

Kyle said: “I’ve been told that I can do the course but I will not be able to come away with a qualification as I’m unable to complete the shorthand section.

“I already do a lot of my work electronically, so I don’t understand why there is such a big issue about this.

“I know a lot of other journalists and some have said they don’t have shorthand.

“It’s not that I am unable to learn it, this is something I cannot help. Journalism is something that I really want to do. It seems really unfair that I would study for a HND for two years and not come away with the qualification.”

West of Scotland MSP Maurice Golden and Kyle’s lecturers have written to the SQA, asking it to reconsider.

Mr Golden has also raised the issue with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who agreed to look into Kyle’s case.

The Tory politician said: “This is a deeply unfair decision by the SQA.

“Kyle is a bright young man who is looking to make a career for himself in journalism but he is being told that he can’t because of his disability.

“I have raised this matter with the First Minister in the Scottish Parliament and have also written to her with full details of Kyle’s situation.

“We should be encouraging people with disabilities to pursue their dreams, not putting up barriers.”

A spokesman for the SQA declined to comment on Kyle’s case.

He said: “We do not discuss individual candidates or their circumstances.”