Lib Dems set out commitment to fair start for every child

6.06.26pm GMT Fri 5th Mar 2010

Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for the introduction of a pupil premium to provide more money for Scottish schools as they debate their education policy at the party conference on Friday.

The party has also re-affirmed their intention to restore teacher numbers by the end of the next Parliamentary session and their commitment to the effective implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence.

Commenting after the debate, Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Margaret Smith MSP said:

“Growing up in Scotland today simply isn’t fair.

“The die is cast for children early in their lives. If they are from deprived backgrounds, they are far more likely to have trouble with reading, writing or maths.

“We want to level the playing field, close the performance gap and give every child the best possible start in life.

“Our proposed pupil premium will follow each child through their education. This will provide the extra help to around 100,000 children who need it most.

“Liberal Democrats are committed to restoring the number of teachers after the SNP’s savage cuts, which have led to a 2,300 drop in teacher numbers.

“More teachers will mean better pupil teacher ratios, smaller class sizes, job prospects for newly qualified teachers and more effective implementation of Curriculum for Excellence.”