Cole-Hamilton: We can build the best education system in the world once again

Speaking at the Scottish Liberal Democrat spring conference in Dundee, Alex Cole-Hamilton will say that the departure of Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister offers a chance to make Scottish education the best in the world again.

He will say:

“Conference, there is a disconnect between the focus of the governing parties and the needs and interests of this country.  

“Put simply, the SNP and Green priorities are not your priorities.  

“They are taking people for granted and it shows.  

“Nicola Sturgeon once said she wanted to be judged on education – remember that?

“Well at the current rate of progress it will take 133 years to close the literacy gap in primary schools.  

“Well at least that’s some sort of progress, because on numeracy the attainment gap between the richest and poorest primary children hasn’t closed at all.  

“Conference, a whole generation of children and young people have been failed by her government.  

“Our teachers and our children deserve better.  

“Liberal Democrats would pay our teachers what they deserve and reverse the explosion of temporary and zero hours contracts.

“Make our classrooms an inviting place to teach again by tackling violence in our schools.

“We would build on our success in early years by introducing a Nursery Premium for children in deprived areas.

“Scrap national testing and the pressure it puts on kids and staff.

“And for older children, I want to introduce a national legal entitlement to youth work for every young person in Scotland.

“As liberals we know that growth, development, innovation all flow from education. From our schools, our colleges and our world-class universities.

“I want us to make things again. To imagine things again. To seize on the abilities of our peoples and to bring forth a new enlightenment in Scotland.

“We were once the best in the world at this. And we can be again.”