Meeting of the Parliament 27 April 2017
Next week, voters will go to the polls to decide the future of local services such as our schools. The First Minister used to claim that education was her number 1 priority, but even she does not claim that any more. After 10 years of Scottish National Party government, Scottish education is facing challenges like never before. Since the SNP took office, there are 4,000 fewer teachers and 1,000 fewer support staff and class sizes are bigger. International studies show that Scotland is declining in maths, reading and science. John Swinney’s response has been to publish a mini-manifesto repeating the very promises that he has broken every year since 2007. Can the First Minister tell teachers, parents and pupils why they should believe the SNP this time around?