Let’s get serious about attainment gap

One of the great contradictions of contemporary Scottish politics is the emphasis the Nationalists have placed on tackling inequality despite having done virtually nothing to redistribute wealth and opportunity.

Yesterday’s headline (10 February) suggests there is some movement in the SNP on this issue and, after eight years in power, they will adopt a successful Labour education policy.

However, I am unsure that this initiative alone will be enough. Authoritative analysis by Unison has estimated that the council tax freeze has cost £2.5 billion and thousands of job losses in local authorities – this has had a direct impact on every state school in Scotland.

Class sizes are rising and Scotland has 4,275 fewer teachers. In addition to this, our colleges have been cut and university students from poor backgrounds receive the worst grant in Western Europe.

These cuts have taken place to enable the SNP to deliver populist policies which in many cases have also worsened economic inequality as well as the attainment gap. For example, the council tax freeze gives an annual saving in Band A of £60, or 0.3 per cent of net household income, compared with £370, or 0.8 per cent of net household income, for Band H residents.

This is good news for those living in mansions, but those on low incomes face high costs for everything from school meals to people with learning difficulties being charged for access to day 
centres.

Let’s get serious about the attainment gap. Let’s tackle educational inequality from pre-school to university. Let’s fund it by having the wealthiest Scots pay a fair share, not cutting service to the vulnerable in Scotland.

(Dr) Scott Arthur

Buckstone Gardens

Edinburgh