LABOUR- JAMES KELLY

A generation of young people have had their journey through education disrupted by the pandemic.

Scottish Labour has produced a national Comeback Plan for young people that includes a Personal Comeback Plan for every pupil, and a resit guarantee so that pupils impacted by cancelled exams are able to access a fullyfunded college place.

Scottish Labour also understands the impact of both the pandemic and previous cuts to education budgets have had on teachers, which is why we are prioritising digital training, and supporting probationary teachers who have had their experience disrupted during lockdown.

In Rutherglen, I am committed to fighting for a new high school for Cambuslang East if elected; the council’s short-sighted approach of sending children in Newton to Uddingston is not good enough for families.

Cambuslang East has seen huge expansion over the past 20 years and it is about time the community are given a high school in their own local area.

I have dealt with tens of thousands of cases in my time as an MSP. Many of these have been related to schooling, nursery access, pupils with additional support needs and a whole host of other local educational issues.

If elected, I will continue to support my constituents on all of these issues – and fight to ensure that every child in Rutherglen has a fair, equal and supported school experience.Years-upon-years of SNP cuts to councils have seen education budgets become more constrained, leaving teachers and young people without access to the proper support and resources they deserve.

I will always fight to reverse the cuts so that we can re-invest in our communities, including our schools, and work towards rebuilding back better.