Education, Education, Education

May 5, 2021 Clara Tipper

Across the globe, the ability to vote sadly remains a privilege in 2021. So, if you are able to vote in the upcoming Scottish Parliament election, I urge you to do so. Statistics from the 2019 General Election reflect the political divisions within the British public. Age continues to be the biggest determinant amongst voters, with Labour winning an astonishing majority amongst the under 40s, whilst the Conservatives continue to rack up support from the over 50s.[1] Other dividing factors include gender, social grade, and education level. In my own view, every individual should be empowered to make their own political opinion, given impartial and sufficient information. Further, a country’s government should reflect the diversities of its people - this is far from our current reality. If only two-thirds of the UK public vote, like they did in 2019, then a third of the UK is left unrepresented.[2] Thus, it is the objective of this article to improve the present trajectory and empower students to cast their vote on the 6th of May.

So, what’s in it for you? Education is a key facet of this election. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, educational recovery, job prospects, and mental health support are the main priorities of each party. Here, I will attempt to break down and dissect the education policies of the SNP, Scottish Labour, the Scottish Conservatives, the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Liberal Democrats. For those of you interested in Alex Salmond’s pitiful attempt to create political party, I encourage you to read Joseph Daly’s article on why you should not give your vote to Alba.[3]

The SNP

In the first Leaders’ Debate, Nicola Sturgeon was probed by her fellow party leaders about her priorities post-Covid. The SNP leader insisted that she would maintain her focus on pandemic recovery, and although an independence referendum would be on the cards for the next term, it will take a back seat. Historically, the SNP’s policies have reflected the party’s confidence in Scotland’s youth. In particular, lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 in 2015 represented their inclusivity of younger people. Thus it is unsurprising that the SNP has set out a clear Covid recovery plan for the Scottish education system. Their main commitments include providing every child with an electronic device, shrinking the attainment gap in schools and further education, and continuing to invest £1 billion in Scottish universities, and a further £75 million in university-led research.[4] Fundamentally, Sturgeon vows that as long as the SNP are in government, university tuition for undergraduates will be free. She also mentions taking a holistic approach to educational recovery, as she recognises that the mental health of students, in addition to their academic pursuits, will have taken a serious hit.[5]

Educational equity is at the heart of the SNP’s manifesto. They pledge that by 2030, 20% of entrants to higher education will be from the 20% most deprived regions in Scotland.[6] Having said this, the attainment gap under the SNP has remained fairly wide; the percentage of school leavers from the least deprived areas with five or more National 5s currently sits at 82.7%, whereas in Scotland’s most deprived areas, the equivalent figure is only 46.5%. Although this gap of 36.2% is a 5% improvement from 2014, the SNP have not hit their targets when it comes to closing the attainment gap.[7] Presumably, this division will only worsen thanks to the pandemic, and so the SNP will need to rethink their current approach.

Scottish Labour

The belief that education should be accessible on the basis of the need to learn and not to pay, is shared by the Scottish Labour Party. Anas Sarwar criticised both the SNP in Holyrood and the Tories in Westminster for failing to invest properly in the education sector. The Labour leader has stressed inclusivity in education, support for poorer students and their families, and reforming the curriculum.[8] The Time for Inclusive Education campaign, which aspires to tackle homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in the Scottish education system, has been endorsed by Labour, alongside the SNP and Green Party. Sarwar has pledged to reform the Scottish curriculum to include coding and IT, as well as introducing volunteering and vocational learning. Labour vow to remove the VAT exemption from private schools and use this revenue to fund free school meals for all school pupils.

Labour has guaranteed Scottish university students that their tuition will remain free, a feature that Scottish Labour successfully introduced in coalition with the Lib Dems in 2001. On top of this, they have suggested further reform of the Further Education Bursary and Education Maintenance Allowance, and the establishment of another fund for those transitioning from social security to university or college. In line with Labour’s ideology, Sarwar wants to encourage lower income students to attend university by developing a fairer system of repaying student loans; additionally, he recognises the value of empowering young girls to choose STEM. Like the SNP, Anas Sarwar has repeatedly voiced his concerns about students’ mental health, especially during Covid-19.[9] He has ambitiously pledged to offer every Scottish student a mental health assessment for free, a measure which would undeniably mark a step in the right direction.

The Scottish Conservatives

The Scottish Conservative party, now led by Douglas Ross, is concerned that the SNP “will never choose schools over separation.”[10] In response to the persistent attainment gap, the Conservatives want to encourage schools to collaborate, and focus on literacy and numeracy. Under Ross, the Conservatives have vowed to invest £550 million in the Scottish education system, which, they claim, would include an additional 3,000 teachers and free school meals.[11] Interestingly, Douglas Ross did not cast a vote in the Opposition’s Motion for free school meals held in October in Westminster.[12] After the 2016 election, the Scottish Conservatives pledged to end free tuition for Scottish students. However, in light of Covid-19, Ross has withdrawn this policy for the time being.[13] As an MP in Westminster, Douglas Ross has voted against restoring the Education Maintenance Allowance, against increasing the minimum wage, and against the marriage of same-sex couples in Northern Ireland.[14] In 2017, he received criticism for his use of language against the Traveller community, and so far, his performance in the Leaders’ Debates have been far from impressive.[15]

Scottish Greens

Scotland’s second largest pro-independence party, the Greens, argue that education should not be seen as an economic investment, but rather a place where young people can nurture their talents, interests and skills. Their policies include increasing teachers’ pay, making university accommodation accessible to every student, and the introduction of a non-repayable living grant.[16] They claim that teachers should be at the centre of policy making, and have criticised the SQA board for having only one head teacher and no classroom teachers. Unlike the Scottish Conservatives, they understand that the attainment gap cannot be solved solely through educational policy, thus, they have suggested the introduction of free bus travel, free school meals including holiday periods, and family financial advisors. They have stressed the importance of social and personal education, and seek to revamp the current sexual health programme to make it more inclusive. The Green Party has also proposed some more radical reforms such as raising the school age to 7 and abolishing the SQA.[17] Patrick Harvie and Alison Johnstone have frequently underlined the importance of making our schools and universities more environmentally friendly, and introducing environmentalism into the curriculum. Green’s policies certainly reflect a progressive and inclusive approach to education, which most schools and universities are in need of.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats

Lastly, the Liberal Democrats, led by North East Fife’s very own Willie Rennie, have put education at the heart of their recovery plan. With vows to invest £500 million annually in education, promises of reversing council funding cuts, and an increased minimum salary for teaching staff, the Lib Dems are taking a heavy expenditure approach. Their Education Bounce Back plan, which offers extra support to students affected by Covid, is impressively detailed. The plan would launch in August and include increased classroom assistants, encourage outdoor learning, grassroots activities and sports, extra study time for exam pupils and job security for teachers.[18] The most notable of Rennie’s policies is his commitment to improving Scotland’s mental health, both through funding the NHS and directly supporting young people.[19]

Of course, we shouldn’t just consider how our vote will affect us, but others too. Check out each party’s manifesto to learn more about their policies on health, business and the environment. Keeping up to date with political and current affairs can be easy if you find the right sources. I would highly recommend polisanalysis.com, a start-up news platform which provides succinct and impartial updates on political developments through short email briefings. The Times News Briefing podcast on Spotify is another accessible source that takes 3 minutes out of your day. Resources like these make staying informed effortless and enjoyable. I hope that this rundown has given an idea of how each of these parties approach education, and the kind of leader you may be voting for. So, come May 6th, make sure you head to your local polling station, (or send off your postal vote), and make an educated choice.

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