LIB DEMS -

Here in West Lothian almost a quarter of children live in poverty and shockingly that number is rising. One of the best means of lifting our children out of the cycle of poverty is by closing the attainment gap, which is why education is at the heart of the Scottish Liberal Democrat’s manifesto.

We will make the Pupil Premium permanent, something we secured £20m funding for in the most recent budget. Only long-term investment in our children’s futures will let them realise their full potential.

As we come out of the pandemic, we will ensure fairness to learners with clear decision making andearly guidance on future testing and teaching provision so that the education bounce back becomes a reality. We will extend the formal kindergarten age from two to seven, so that we can focus on child development, social skills, outdoor learning and physical and mental health; and we’ll scrap mandatory testing on five-year-olds, introduced, and so poorly managed, by the SNP. We want to end the scandal of teachers working on zero hours contracts. We’ve all seen teachers move mountains in the past year and the Liberal Democrats will guarantee their jobs are permanent.

I’ve worked with schools all over West Lothian for years: I know what a difference it makes for children to have their own books and reading material. Going forward, we need to make sure all children have the resources they need to achieve their goals and dreams. That’s why the Scottish Liberal Democrats will put recovery first.