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Professor John Robertson OBA
Today, the media across England and Wales are uniformly headlining concerns about regional gaps in school exam results, with for example, the North East of England far behind London and the South, but in Scotland:
and from BBC Scotland:
The attainment gap between Scotland’s richest and poorest school pupils increased last year, according to new figures.
The Scottish government has said since 2015 that closing this gap – between the level of national qualifications obtained by children from the most affluent and the least affluent areas – is its priority.
Why the difference?
Regional differences are more difficult to blame on the national government party, Labour in England, because they draw attention to local parties of government, often not Labour.
A gap between the most and least disadvantaged, which exists in England too of course, and which statistics show is there across the whole country, is easier to attribute to the performance of the national government party, in Scotland , the SNP.
Simples?
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Sadly, the SNP brought this on itself by focussing on the ‘gap’.
As you know, education measurement and evaluation is multifactorially complex and requires careful consideration. Schools cannot be seen in isolation from wider society and poverty in particular.
It requires substantial investment in reducing poverty, in supporting mothers from pregnancy through birth and early years. It requires the balance of education funding to be moved from Higher education and the latter years of secondary school towards pre-school and primaries 1-3.
Alasdair Macdonald
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Sadly, the SNP brought this on itself by focussing on the ‘gap’
Indeed
Why didn’t they ask folk whom know?
John
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With respect Alasdair, I’m not so sure “focussing” is strictly true, rather than our attention is more subtly drawn to it by media and opposition over a long period to convey the impression it is and is thus normalised – It’s the boiled frog version of propaganda.
As to the rest I entirely agree, but can you imagine this ever being promoted for public discussion by the media ? I can’t.
That’s the problem we have to solve.
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But the Scottish Gov have not focused only on schools. They have always been aware of the need to institute measures that are solely focused on Schools.
Start with Baby Boxes. Eight years and 350000 boxes later. For many that gives the children a level start on their journey.
From there free nursery places extended to qualifying 2 year olds. This helps their social skills, language development etc.
Free lunches at school. Making it for all P1-P5 rather than just those on benefits means they are not identified as being on benefits. Level playing field and a full stomach to help them benefit from the education at school.
Children in care. If I remember correctly there was an Act passed in 2014 which among other things included provision for children in care remain in their care environment until they were 21 yrs old. Prior to that they had to leave their care environment at 16 yrs and find accommodation. Important for those going on to HE or FE that they have a known support network when going to college or uni
Funding apprenticeships for those who don’t want to take the academic route.
All of that and more have resulted in closing/narrowing the attainment gap. For example, University applications via UCAS in 2006 were less than 10% from pupils in the most disadvantaged group. By 2018 the figure was just shy of 18%. As UCAS pointed out this narrowing was due to the INCREASE in applications from the most disadvantaged pupils.
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It would be simples if the Scottish government hadn’t said it would abolish the class-based attainment gap, focussed on the qualifications needed to get into university, something which is almost certainly impossible to do.
Narrow, yes. Deliver positive destinations, yes. Abolish that specific gap, how? However many resources the government puts into education the very wealthiest can always put in more for their offspring.
The SNP Scottish Government made a rod for its own back and gave the press and its opponents a gift that keeps on giving.
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