Nicola Sturgeon has insisted she is still on course to fulfil her career-defining target to substantially eliminate the attainment gap between rich and poor by 2026.
The pledge comes just three weeks after Shirley-Anne Somerville, the education secretary, said the ambition had been abandoned.
The SNP faced accusations of being “all over the place on education” after Sturgeon reiterated her intention to achieve her flagship policy.
