Dreams being shattered by SNP inaction

PISA results show standards are declining, says Ian Murray

For a government that once asked to be judged on its educational performance, it has undeniably failed on every single measure. But while ministers from Alex Salmond to Nicola Sturgeon to Humza Yousaf, and all the education secretaries serving them, should hang their heads in shame – it’s the young people of Scotland who we should care about.

The recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results confirmed that educational standards in Scotland are declining – a desperately sad state of affairs for what was once considered one of the greatest education systems in the world before the SNP broke it.

Teacher workloads are intense, there is an urgent need for resourcing for pupils with additional support needs (ASN), and disruptive behaviour in classrooms needs addressed. As the Scottish Government’s International Council of Education Advisers stated: “The time for commissioning reviews is now over.”

Commissioning reviews and papers on a plethora of different issues and then not acting on them seems to be an SNP favourite.

Ministers must set out when they will finally deliver on promises made to teachers, parents and pupils, including addressing the continued use of temporary contracts, improving workloads by increasing non-contact time for teachers, addressing the gaps in teacher provision in geographical and subject areas, and meeting the commitment to offer free breakfasts in primary and special schools.

And they must stop excluding Scottish students from universities as a direct result of SNP budget cuts. Because that is the devastating reality which emerged this week, with at least 1,200 places for homegrown students to be axed next year.

The SNP likes to trumpet that it abolished all tuition fees – but free tuition is not much use if there aren’t any places at university. Worst still is foreign students can access Scottish universities by simply waving a cheque. That’s not right.

It’s like giving someone a free bus pass when there aren’t any buses. The Scottish Budget confirms a 6 per cent funding decrease to higher education in 2024/25, or around £28.5 million, reducing the number of places for Scottish students.

And it could be even worse than feared – my MSP Labour colleague Michael Marra has calculated that cutting 1,200 places would save between £4m and £5m. So more places may need to be cut to make up £28.5m in savings.

Quite remarkably, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has tried to claim this is not a “swingeing cut”. She should try telling that to the hundreds of young people in Edinburgh and across Scotland whose life chances she wants to ruin by denying them a university place.

At a Holyrood committee meeting yesterday, she was unable to explain the impact of the SNP’s unforgiveable decision. But quite simply, it means fewer young Scots going to university, with a long-term impact on our economy and society. Scotland deserves better than the SNP’s attempts to hold back young people – we need a government which truly believes in the potential of our people.

Ian Murray MP is Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland

Dreams being shattered by SNP inaction - Ian Murray