A teaching union has called on the next Scottish government to make education a priority or “inequalities will continue to widen”.
In a message to the next administration the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA) called for an increase in education funding and for the government to invest in the education workforce and in additional support needs.
Monique Dreon-Goold, SSTA president, said that without appropriate investment in schools “inequalities will continue to widen”.
She said: “Teachers across Scotland are clear: education must move beyond political division and be properly resourced, with fully qualified staff who are fairly paid and supported to deliver high-quality learning for all young people.
Without specialist staff and adequate resources, both teachers and pupils are being let down
“Education is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of social and economic progress. However, years of underfunding have left schools struggling, with rising class sizes, reduced support staff and increasing pressure on teachers.
“The SSTA is urging the government to significantly increase education funding and ensure it is protected for schools. Without this, inequalities will continue to widen, particularly for pupils requiring additional support.”
The SSTA told the next government that “education is not a privilege; it is a fundamental human right” and “in an already strained system, teachers are struggling to deliver a high-quality education”.
General secretary Seamus Searson said: “Teacher workload has also reached unsustainable levels, contributing to a growing recruitment and retention crisis. The SSTA is calling for immediate action to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and ensure teaching remains an attractive and sustainable profession.
“In addition, greater investment in additional support needs (ASN) provision is essential. Without specialist staff and adequate resources, both teachers and pupils are being let down.
“The SSTA is calling for a long-term, collaborative strategy with teacher unions — one that places education at the heart of government policy and protects it from further cuts.”
Collette Stevenson, SNP candidate for East Kilbride: “The SNP is improving the opportunities and educational outcomes of Scotland’s young people with spending on schools across Scotland increasing by more than £1 billion in real terms over the past decade.
“Under the SNP, the number of teachers in Scotland’s classrooms has increased by more than 2,700 over the past decade. Scotland has the lowest teacher-pupil ratio, the highest spend per pupil and the best-paid teachers in the UK.
“We have near record levels of young people going into work, education or training and record levels of literacy and numeracy.
“John Swinney’s reliable and trusted leadership is firmly on the side of Scotland’s young people and a better future with the fresh start of independence is there to be won by voting for an SNP majority on Thursday.”