Willie Rennie to outline £170m pupil premium plan
Mr Rennie will use his speech to the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference in Edinburgh to reveal more details about how he would spend the £475 million raised from increasing income tax north of the border by 1p.
Now Holyrood has the ability to set a Scottish rate of income tax, the Liberal Democrats argue the levy should be raised in a bid to tackle the attainment gap between pupils from different backgrounds.
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Hide AdThe party has already pledged the “penny for education” will be spent on expanding nursery care, repairing colleges, preventing school cutbacks and a pupil premium.
Mr Rennie will reveal more details of the plans to party activists, saying primary schools would get £1,400 for every child who needs extra support, while £900 would go to secondary schools for each student from a deprived background.
This will show what people will get for their “winning investment”, he will say.
He will pledge: “We will invest £170 million in our schools with a pupil premium. This will be paid directly to schools to raise attainment every year.
“It will be worth £1,400 for every pupil who needs extra support at primary school - wherever they live in the country. And £900 for every secondary school pupil from a disadvantaged background.
“Our pupil premium will put money into every classroom. Every school gets money for children from poorer backgrounds. That’s enough for more teachers, for one-to-one help, for homework clubs or for extra equipment.”
He will insist: “That is how you close the attainment gap. By making the investment. By giving the life chances. And by backing your words up with action.”
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