NICOLA Sturgeon put her neck on the line by labelling it her “defining mission”, but uncertainty remains whether the attainment gap can be eliminated by the 2026 original timescale, if at all.
The latest stats, published in December, shows the gulf between the achievements of pupils in the least deprived areas and their peers in the most deprived areas remained wider than in 2018/19, before the pandemic hit.
Her political foes have framed her being more concerned with independence instead of focusing on key domestic issues, most notably education.
The intention from Ms Sturgeon was there from the get-go. Back in August 2015, the FM insisted she would put her “neck on the line” over the key promise.
But eight years later, the Scottish Government is still failing to close the attainment gap, with Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville’s remarks earlier this year casting doubt over whether it will ever be achieved.
