Poorer pupils ‘let down by the SNP’

Despite many big promises and government, three consecutive share responsibility for failing

PUPILS have been failed in eight years of SNP rule, it was claimed yesterday.

Critics went on the attack after Education Secretary Angela Constance delivered a speech insisting poverty

cannot be an excuse for failure in Scottish education.

Oppenents rounded on Constance – and her predecessors Mike Russell and Fiona Hyslop – for failing to achieve better results over their party’s years in power at Holyrood.

They blamed an increase in class sizes, a cut in teacher numbers and a drop in literacy and numeracy levels – along with an inability to tackle the attainment gap between children from better and worse off areas.

In her speech, Constance set out her aspirations for the Scottish education system, discussing improving literacy and numeracy, the role of parents and families, leadership in schools and the impact of austerity.

She told the audience at Glasgow University’s Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change: “Tackling inequity is a priority not only for the Scottish Government, but for me personally.

“It will never be acceptable for poverty to be an excuse for failure. It is our job – as parents, teachers and academics and in local and central government – to overcome that barrier, not use it as an excuse.”

But her political opponents pointed out she failed to mention the increase in class sizes during the SNP’s time in power.

And Labour claimed there has also been a 20 per cent drop in children achieving passes in the new National Four and Five examinations – compared to those achieving Standard Grade passes – in the first year in which the Curriculum for Excellence can be measured in terms of attainment.

Comparing exam pass rates in some of Scotland’s most deprived areas since 2007 makes grim reading.

In 2007 Lochend Community High School in Glasgow’s Easterhouse saw nine per cent of pupils achieve five Standard grades or more at credit level.

In 2013, that figure had dropped to five per cent.

Castlebrae High School in Greendykes, Edinburgh, saw even worse results. In 2007, six per cent achieved the level but in 2013 there were none.

Labour education spokesman Iain Gray said: “The Government’s own figures for literacy and numeracy show they are failing. The gap between poor families and the better off families in terms of literacy and numeracy have not improved one bit.

“One in four children from poorer families leave school without acceptable numeracy skills.

“On top of that, we have seen in recent years the rol lout of curriculum for excellence.

“That is an approach Labour have supported but the SNP have failed to provide the right levels of support and that is particularly true in the introduction of the new exams.

“We have research from a former head teacher which shows the number of examinations sat last year for the new National exams dropped 12 per cent and attainment dropped 20 per cent.

“Not only have the SNP failed to improve things, all the signs are that they have allowed things to get worse.

“Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised because we have more than 4000 fewer teachers than when the SNP came to power. Class sizes have increased and the pupil to teacher ratio has gone up as well.”

Gray added: “In recent days the SNP have announced their attainment challenge and attainment fund