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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Plan to tackle schools gap inspired by London Challenge | Plan to tackle schools gap inspired by London Challenge |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Nicola Sturgeon is to unveil plans designed to bridge the attainment gap between pupils from poor backgrounds and those from wealthier households. | Nicola Sturgeon is to unveil plans designed to bridge the attainment gap between pupils from poor backgrounds and those from wealthier households. |
| The first minster's proposals will draw on schemes with a proven track record, including the London Challenge. | The first minster's proposals will draw on schemes with a proven track record, including the London Challenge. |
| That initiative saw a significant improvement in attainment among poorer pupils. | That initiative saw a significant improvement in attainment among poorer pupils. |
| Scottish Labour has outlined a £25m plan to address inequalities within the education system. | Scottish Labour has outlined a £25m plan to address inequalities within the education system. |
| Ms Sturgeon said she wanted to break down barriers to learning. | Ms Sturgeon said she wanted to break down barriers to learning. |
| She will outline details of the new action plan on a visit to St Joseph's Primary, Victoria Park Primary and Balgay Hill Nursery campus in Dundee. | She will outline details of the new action plan on a visit to St Joseph's Primary, Victoria Park Primary and Balgay Hill Nursery campus in Dundee. |
| Rise in standards | Rise in standards |
| The scheme will be aimed at boosting literacy, numeracy and health and well-being in some of Scotland's most disadvantaged communities. | The scheme will be aimed at boosting literacy, numeracy and health and well-being in some of Scotland's most disadvantaged communities. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, Education Secretary Angela Constance, said the programme would be called the Scottish Attainment Challenge and would be backed up with £100m of investment over four years. | |
| The London Challenge was launched in 2003 by the then Labour government at Westminster with the aim of giving young people a good or better education. | The London Challenge was launched in 2003 by the then Labour government at Westminster with the aim of giving young people a good or better education. |
| It reportedly saw a dramatic rise in standards by encouraging collaboration between schools across the city. | It reportedly saw a dramatic rise in standards by encouraging collaboration between schools across the city. |
| Similar programmes were later extended further north in England and they were collectively identified as City Challenge. | Similar programmes were later extended further north in England and they were collectively identified as City Challenge. |
| Speaking ahead of her announcement, Ms Sturgeon said: "I want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow up and I want every child to enjoy an education that allows them to be the best they can be - one that provides them with the skills and knowledge to succeed in work and in life. | Speaking ahead of her announcement, Ms Sturgeon said: "I want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow up and I want every child to enjoy an education that allows them to be the best they can be - one that provides them with the skills and knowledge to succeed in work and in life. |
| "The barriers to learning caused by poverty and inequality have their origins beyond the school gates, but we must make sure that in our schools, children are given the support they need to overcome these barriers. | "The barriers to learning caused by poverty and inequality have their origins beyond the school gates, but we must make sure that in our schools, children are given the support they need to overcome these barriers. |
| "The Scottish government is determined to break down every barrier to attainment and tackle educational inequalities." | "The Scottish government is determined to break down every barrier to attainment and tackle educational inequalities." |
| The first minister said her government was already working to close the gap in outcomes between pupils from affluent areas and those from deprived backgrounds. | The first minister said her government was already working to close the gap in outcomes between pupils from affluent areas and those from deprived backgrounds. |
| The latest plan will see attainment advisers appointed in each local authority area. | The latest plan will see attainment advisers appointed in each local authority area. |
| Worst-performing schools | Worst-performing schools |
| Ms Sturgeon added: "We will have no truck with the ideological nonsense of Gove and the Tories, but equally we will not shy away from learning lessons from initiatives such as the London Challenge. It has seen real, sustained improvements in attainment and we now want to draw on it in Scotland. | Ms Sturgeon added: "We will have no truck with the ideological nonsense of Gove and the Tories, but equally we will not shy away from learning lessons from initiatives such as the London Challenge. It has seen real, sustained improvements in attainment and we now want to draw on it in Scotland. |
| "A good education is, quite simply, the most important gift we can give our young people." | "A good education is, quite simply, the most important gift we can give our young people." |
| Scotland's largest teaching union, the EIS, welcomed a focus tackling inequality but said that new schemes had to be backed up by adequate funding and resources. | Scotland's largest teaching union, the EIS, welcomed a focus tackling inequality but said that new schemes had to be backed up by adequate funding and resources. |
| General secretary Larry Flanagan said: "We can learn valuable lessons by looking at the successful elements of schemes from elsewhere in the UK and further afield, and adapting these to the meet the needs of Scotland's education system and its pupils. | General secretary Larry Flanagan said: "We can learn valuable lessons by looking at the successful elements of schemes from elsewhere in the UK and further afield, and adapting these to the meet the needs of Scotland's education system and its pupils. |
| "The London Challenge, in particular, was underpinned by substantial investment and significant increases in staffing resource to support the scheme. | "The London Challenge, in particular, was underpinned by substantial investment and significant increases in staffing resource to support the scheme. |
| "The key to tackling poverty and inequality is to step up investment in our schools while also increasing the number teachers working with pupils in our classrooms." | "The key to tackling poverty and inequality is to step up investment in our schools while also increasing the number teachers working with pupils in our classrooms." |
| At the weekend, Labour leader Jim Murphy set out a £25m plan to raise attainment among Scotland's poorest children if it wins the 2016 Holyrood elections. | At the weekend, Labour leader Jim Murphy set out a £25m plan to raise attainment among Scotland's poorest children if it wins the 2016 Holyrood elections. |
| The party has pledged to double the number of teaching assistants in every primary school associated with the worst-performing 20 secondary schools. | The party has pledged to double the number of teaching assistants in every primary school associated with the worst-performing 20 secondary schools. |
| It would also introduce a new literacy programme and provide extra support for pupils in each of those 20 schools. | It would also introduce a new literacy programme and provide extra support for pupils in each of those 20 schools. |
| Labour's education spokesman Iain Gray told BBC Radio Scotland: "In a modern, 21st century democracy we simply cannot sit back and accept the idea that your chances in school depend on how well-off your family is rather than anything else. | |
| "That is something that we absolutely must begin to turn around." | "That is something that we absolutely must begin to turn around." |
| The Scottish Conservatives said they had been calling for "radical reform of the school system" for decades. | The Scottish Conservatives said they had been calling for "radical reform of the school system" for decades. |