We need to close the attainment gap so every child has the same opportunities

THE arrival of 2023 brings many hopes and aspirations, but there is no doubt this is going to be another very challenging year for local authorities and public services.

Due to the economic situation and the need to control public expenditure, some very hard choices are going to have to be made. There will be difficult choices, but what are the areas of priority?

It is widely recognised that education is a critical pathway out of poverty for many people. It can open the door to employment opportunities, equipping people with the skills they need to get a job. It can make the difference between surviving and thriving.

In the words of Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.”

In Scotland, a wide gap has emerged in educational attainment between the better off and the more disadvantaged.

Nicola Sturgeon recognised that in 2015 in one of her first speeches as First Minister, when she said that “the defining mission of this government is to close the poverty related gap in educational attainment”.

In 2016, the SNP committed to eradicating that gap within a decade. Now, seven years later, official figures from the Scottish Qualifications Authority show very limited progress in bridging that gap. In 2022, the gap in school qualification achievement between the poorest and the better off areas remained at 15%.

At this rate there is no prospect of closing the gap by 2026.

That’s why it is so worrying to realise that as a result of the planned cuts, the Scottish Government could force local authorities to reduce expenditure on critical parts of education provision. For years there has been a focus on closing the attainment gap. How do we avoid perpetuating this gap?

Firstly, we need the Scottish Government to think again about its projected settlement for local government and to reduce the pressure on education budgets.

Secondly, we need to encourage donors from thriving industry, research and charitable sectors to build and expand upon funding partnerships with local authorities, to be able to offer targeted funding for those initiatives which promote inclusion by providing additional support to the education of disadvantaged children.

We need to get our priorities right. We cannot afford to have world class universities committed to widening access but which poorer Scottish children have no prospect of attending due to lack of attainment. That’s why donors should consider allocating part of their donations to help school age education.

If there is lack of imagination, tenacity and funding from national governments, history will view this as a pivotal moment that inflicted irreparable damage and reversed invested strategies to ensure social justice and maximise life opportunities for every child.