A row has broken out over the SNP’s record on closing the poverty-related attainment gap.
On exam results day in Scotland the Education Secretary was quizzed about a commitment to closing the gap.
Jenny Gilruth was asked about an election promise to close the gap by next year.
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Gilruth mentioned making progress on literacy and numeracy in primary and secondary schools and progress on widening access to higher education.
Speaking on BBC Radio, she said the Covid pandemic and the impact of austerity on poorer families have been a factor schoolshave had to deal with.
Asked if the gap could be closed by next year, she said: “I’m here today to talk to you about the exam results.
“ I’ve spoken to some of the progress, and I’m absolutely committed to our continued work to close the attainment gap, but I am in no way shirking away from the challenge we’ve seen in terms of the Covid pandemic and austerity in our schools.”
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Earlier, she said the poverty-related attainment gap has “narrowed at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher levels”.
She added: “While there is more to do, each success of every young person from the most disadvantaged areas creates a route out of poverty.”
Opposition MSPs have criticised the Education Secretary and the SNP, following the remarks.
Glasgow MSP, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Scottish Labour [[Education]] Spokesperson, said: “It is damning that Jenny Gilruth cannot say whether the attainment gap will be closed by next year.
“This once again proves that any promises made by the SNP are simply not worth the paper they are written on.
“In 2015, Nicola Sturgeon said she wanted to be judged on closing the attainment gap, with the SNP promising to ‘substantially eliminate’ it within a decade.
“Almost a decade on and SNP ministers are refusing to own up to Scots that they have repeatedly made promises that they are unable to deliver upon."
The Conservatives said the exam results for 2025 show the gap between the most and least deprived pupils obtaining A-C grades at National 5 was still 16.6%, with the gap at Higher 17.1% and Advanced Higher standing at 12.8%.
Miles Briggs, education spokesperson, said: “Nicola Sturgeon’s promises in relation to the attainment gap lie in tatters.
“She wanted to eradicate it completely, yet still there is a huge gap in the results achieved by those from our most and least deprived communities.
“And John Swinney was education secretary when the [[SNP]] said it would be the defining mission of their government and promised to substantially eliminate it by 2026.”
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