Meeting of the Parliament 27 January 2016
United Kingdom cuts have been multiplied fivefold, with devastating consequences for council services such as schools and childcare. That severely undermines any good that is being done by the attainment fund. How much good that fund will do is highly questionable when it ignores more than 1,500 schools and 11 local authorities. Taking money away then making a big fuss about giving some back is not a solution to anything other than the quest for publicity.
The SNP is bereft of adequate answers but, with more than 6,000 Scottish children leaving primary school unable to read properly, we know that tackling the attainment gap must start in the early years. Scottish Labour has set out proposals that would more effectively target those who are in most need. The fair start fund would give primary schools £1,000 and nurseries £300 for every child who comes from a deprived background. The money would go directly to head teachers to spend in whatever way is most appropriate to tackling the attainment gap in their schools.
The Scottish Government needs to take on board the advice of the OECD, its poverty adviser and others who highlight its failings, no matter how unpalatable that may be. Those failings must be recognised if they are to be addressed, so sorting our education system will require a degree of honesty that is rarely seen from this Government. I will not hold my breath, cabinet secretary, but you could try being honest about your failures and then ask to be judged on your honesty.
15:24