SNP is still failing on attainment gap pledge
Poorer pupils ‘left behind’
THE SNP is not closing the attainment gap in performance by pupils quickly enough, a report has warned
Holyrood’s education committee is calling for urgent action to address the ‘concerning’ divide in achievement between youngsters from rich or poor backgrounds.
Condemning the ‘limited progress’ on the SNP’s promise to close the gap, MSPs on the committee called for government agency Education Scotland to investigate the variation and set out action to address it.
It comes ahead of pupils receiving their exam results next week.
Scottish Conservative education spokesman Oliver Mundell said: ‘This damning report by a crosschildren’s party group of MSPs highlights the utter failure of the SNP to close the poverty-related attainment gap – something Nicola Sturgeon described as the “defining mission” of her government back in 2016.
‘Indeed, it’s only a couple of months since the Education Secretary abandoned the SNP’s totemic pledge to eliminate it by 2026 because so little progress was being made.
‘That was the ultimate betrayal of youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds by Nicola Sturgeon, whose government’s record in education is one of abject failure.’
In its report, the committee said it ‘notes with concern’ evidence showing variation in performance across local authorities in Scotland and stressed it is important that outcomes at school ‘are not dependent on where they live’.
The report said: ‘The committee recommends Education Scotland is tasked with undertaking urgent work to investigate the reasons for these variations and with setting out the action it is taking to achieve consistency across the country.’
It said that watchdog Audit Scotland had concluded that there has been ‘limited progress’ on closing the attainment gap and said progress on local and national measures has been ‘slow or mixed’.
Committee convener Sue Webber said: ‘It is essential the reforms to the Government’s education agency ensure the new schools inspectorate is able to monitor the effectiveness of the implementation of plans to close the poverty-related attainment gap.’
The committee also called for teachers, parents, carers and pupils to have a say on spending plans to address the gap. Concerns have been raised of head teachers needing the cash to cover for staff shortages.
A Scottish Government spokesman said it was ‘committed to tackling the poverty-related attainment gap and improving outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty’. He said the Scottish Government was investing a ‘record £1billion to support the Scottish attainment challenge’.
He added: ‘There is of course more to be done, in particular as we look to recover from the impact of the pandemic on the education of children and young people impacted by poverty, and we will consider the findings of this report carefully.’
‘A record of abject failure’