Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Central Scotland, Graham Simpson, has slammed the SNP’s continued failures in education in Lanarkshire.
Mr Simpson’s call comes after the publication of the National Improvement Framework report which shows a decline in standards in literacy, reading, writing and listening and talking since a previous report in 2018-19.
Analysis by the Scottish Conservatives has shown that in 31 out of 32 of Scotland’s local authorities, including North and South Lanarkshire, the percentage of pupils in Primaries One, Four and Seven achieving the expected attainment levels in literacy, reading and writing, is now lower than in 2018-19.
Similarly, in both Lanarkshire councils the percentage of pupils in P1, P4 and P7 achieving the expected levels in listening and talking also fell. This was also the same for numeracy levels.
Mr Simpson says these figures are further evidence of how the SNP have damaged Scotland’s once world-leading education system during their 15 years in power.
He added that it is extremely concerning that fewer and fewer pupils in Lanarkshire are achieving the required levels of attainment in primary school and the figures fly in the face of SNP claims that education is their top priority.
Central Scotland MSP, Graham Simpson said: “Ensuring our pupils in Lanarkshire are leaving primary school with the required levels of basic attainment should always be a top priority.
“These figures make for deeply concerning reading given such dramatic falls in performance over the last few years across the board.
“They are just the latest example of how SNP ministers have taken their eye off the ball and are failing our young people in our region.
“It is shocking that so many pupils in are not hitting the required levels in reading, writing and numeracy.
“Scotland’s education system used to be world-leading but the SNP have taken a wrecking ball to that during their 15 years in power.
“This lack of attainment in Lanarkshire should be an urgent wake-up call to SNP ministers to actually match their rhetoric about education by giving our schools the resources they need.”
