LABOUR - KIRSTEEN SULLIVAN

In a recent poll, 31 per cent of respondents voted education as their key priority. As a mum of three young children, it will come as no surprise that I want my children and your children to have the best education experience I know our Scottish system should and could provide. Despite the First Minister promising to raise attainment and prioritise education, we have seen a deterioration in outcomes for young people in many parts of the country with a stubborn attainment gap which continues to disadvantage those from less well-off backgrounds; broken promises to cut class sizes; an underresourced Curriculum for

Excellence; cuts to college places, the list goes on.

I’m proud that in Labour-led West Lothian we have largely bucked the national trend with attainment and outcomes for our learners outperforming many other Council areas. As your MSP I will work tirelessly for these successes to be mirrored across the country.

Post-pandemic learning must be funded fully. Teachers and support staff, who have worked continuously under the most difficult of circumstances, must be supported to develop ambitious and creative programmes which will meet the many differing needs of pupils following such a challenging year. We have the ability and willingness across the educational community to do this and do it now.

We owe it to the young people of Scotland to ensure they don’t carry the scars of this dreadful pandemic into their future lives.