Raise not close attainment gap

Sir, - One cannot help but suspect political motivation behind moves to hit independent schools financially with proposed changes to business rates.

The SNP’s central education target, unquestioned by all other Holyrood parties, is to “close the attainment gap.”

This would entail pupils from the wealthiest families performing at an identical level to those from the least welloff backgrounds.

On this view, costly independent schools that provide excellent education clearly contribute to the “attainment gap,” and are, therefore, part of the problem.

The whole “attainment gap” philosophy is founded on the false assumption that all children are equally capable of academic progress, or that academic ability is evenly distributed across social classes, and that divergences of outcome must be caused by structural injustices in society.

Our education system should provide the opportunity to excel for all pupils, focusing additional attention on those facing particular difficulties.

The goal should be raising attainment for all, not “closing the attainment gap”.

To quote from our policies: “Independent schools should enjoy charitable status automatically, as educating children to a high standard is a good to society.”