ATTAINMENT IN TATTERS

Scottish Government under fire as critics blast 10 years of broken promises, But Education Secretary celebrates slight narrowing of divide in Nat 5s & highers

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BY CHRIS MCCALL

A LANDMARK SNP pledge to eliminate the poverty attainment gap between the richest and poorest Scots pupils is "in tatters" following the publication of this year's exam results, opposition parties have warned.

Nicola Sturgeon used a keynote speech in 2015 to promise her government would "close the attainment gap completely" over the next decade - a policy ministers formally adopted a year later when John Swinney was serving as education secretary.

But Higher and National 5 results out today show the richest 20 per cent of pupils continue to significantly outperform the 20 per cent of kids from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.

Pam Duncan-Glancy, Scottish Labour education spokeswoman, said: "Right across our education system staff have gone above and beyond to give kids the education they deserve despite a lack of leadership from this SNP government. While any progress closing the attainment gap should be welcomed, the truth is it remains stubbornly wide.

"The SNP has gone from promising to close the attainment gap entirely to congratulating itself for the most incremental progress. From those doing exams to those pursuing a vocation, young people in Scotland deserve a government with more ambition for their future.