Education to be placed at the heart of the SNP’s election campaign

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has vowed to put education at the heart of the SNP’s election campaign ahead of the Scottish Parliament election in May.

Opening the new year debate at Holyrood, Sturgeon promised that educational reform would be placed at the ‘front and centre’ of the SNP’s agenda if they win a third term in May’s election.

The SNP’s education drive is in response to criticism that the party has failed to close the attainment gap between the wealthiest and poorest pupils in Scotland. Sturgeon also confirmed that he National Improvement Framework would be published this week, which contains proposals for standardised national tests in Scotland.

Sturgeon said: "I am determined that, for the SNP, education will be front and centre of our plans for a third term in government. Later this week, I will publish the new national improvement framework for education, which focuses firmly on our objective of closing the attainment gap in education. But the task of giving young people the best start in life must start in the early years.”