The Scottish National Party (SNP) manifesto ‘A Future Made in Scotland’ was launched earlier today in an unoccupied office block in Southwest Edinburgh. The upfront priority is ‘independence’, education is ignored. It’s a sad reflection on the proud Scottish education tradition that a governing party is too ashamed to mention it for fear of attracting attention to their poor record.
Their leading full-page slogan, ‘Vote SNP for Scotland to become an independent country’ captures their main and perhaps only, real priority. As they slip badly in the polls to a resurgent Labour, there is a last-ditch attempt to use the election as an independence vote and capture nationalistic fervour. It probably won’t work as more pressing worries loom for people.
Reporting on the SNP plans for education is easy. They only mention it twice in the small print. Firstly, with ‘Defend free university tuition in Scotland’ they simply lie to mislead with,
“The SNP is the only party that will protect students and defend free education, meaning graduates in Scotland are thousands of pounds better off”.
That’s the only offer with fairness and widening access left out. However, the Scottish Labour manifesto ‘Change’ goes further on widening access and makes it clear that,
“Scottish Labour remains committed to free tuition for Scottish students attending Scottish universities and we want to ensure that the progress made on widening access continues.”
(See TEFS 18th June 2024 ‘Scottish Labour manifesto: joined at the hip’)
The second mention of education links educational opportunities policy with independence and then Scotland joining the EU,
“Re-entry to the Erasmus+ scheme, widening educational opportunities for Scotland’s future generations”
Most people will see the failure to get a grip on education as central to the SNP’s ongoing poor record. Education is devolved to the Scottish government which they lead. In turn, the SNP simply don’t want to draw attention to this uncomfortable fact and omit it from their manifesto.
To quote the end of the Bugs Bunny Looney Tune cartoons
“That’s all folks”
The author, Mike Larkin, retired from Queen’s University Belfast after 37 years teaching Microbiology, Biochemistry and Genetics.