Exclusive:Education is set to be a key battleground for Holyrood 2026 - here are the opposition's main demands

Opposition parties plan to hold the SNP’s feet to the fire over its record on education and what they believe should be done to improve the learning landscape.

Ahead of the launch of party manifestos, The Scotsman asked the main political parties to reveal their key demands for a sector under strain across all levels.

As expected, these include a wide range of policy proposals - from a push on expanding free school meals to tackling pupil behaviour and reducing teacher workload.

For the Scottish Liberal Democrats, the manifesto mantra is set to be “Scottish education back to its best”.

Alex Cole-Hamilton’s party have four key education policy areas.

They want to expand pupil support in every school.

A spokesman said: “We think this would play a part in tackling so many of the major problems that schools are facing: teachers juggling too many pupils, not having enough time to prep, additional support needs, classroom violence.”

The Lib Dems, whose education spokesman is Willie Rennie MSP, are also planning to tackling the issues in the college sector.

They say colleges are not currently delivering the skills the economy needs in key areas like renewables and social care.

The party also wants the SNP’s guidance for teachers to be streamlined. They claim current guidance is too long, ineffectual and “no teacher can realistically read and implement all of it”.

Scottish Greens are all about teacher workload.

Their policy platform will set out ways to cut teacher workload and give educators more time for lesson prep.

Co-leader and education spokesman for the Scottish Greens, Ross Greer, said: “What’s driving people out of teaching and putting them off teaching in the first place now is just the unmanageable workload and the stress and the mental health issues that come with that.”

He said there are steps the government could take to reduce workload that are “practically free” and would be swift to implement.

“Fundamentally, it's about trust like the only way to reduce teachers' workload is just to trust them,” Mr Greer added.

“The workload is overwhelmingly bureaucratic. It's form filling, it's reporting, it's feeding a machine. “If everybody was honest, I think most people would concede that is not resulting in a better quality of learning and teaching.

“It’s not helping the pupils and it's not helping the teacher, but it is making teachers work loads just wildly unmanageable.”

Ash Regan MSP currently sits as an independent MSP, having previously been SNP and then a member of the Alba party.

She intends to push hard on education in the election run up, with three education priorities for 2026.

These include pushing for the expansion of free school meals, specifically nutritionally dense meals that she says will help give all children an equal start.

She also plans to call for in-school supported study and additional learning opportunities so that no child falls behind due to circumstance.

The MSP also wants to introduce a national standard for classroom behaviour and discipline, creating safe, respectful learning environments.

She believes there should be a Scotland-wide ban on mobile phones during school hours to reduce distractions, improve focus, and protect wellbeing.

Ms Regan also wants to ban lobbyists and interest groups from schools, and introduce a requirement of full transparency of curriculum and decision-making for parents.

Ms Regan said: “Every child deserves a quality education, free from barriers to learning.

“That’s why I’m calling for the completion of the SNP’s commitment to universal free school meals in primary schools.

“To tackle the attainment gap, we need in-school supported study and a back-to-basics approach to behaviour, including a national discipline standard and a national school phone ban.

“Our education system must focus on teaching children how to think, free from lobbyist influence at every level, from schools to teaching colleges.”

Ms Regan also said families must be “fully involved” in their child’s learning and well-being, with complete curriculum transparency and active engagement.

She added: “No child’s learning should ever be held back by their environment or circumstances.”

The Scottish Conservatives are keeping their cards close to their chest on specific education policies but said education will be a major focus of their 2026 campaign.

Shadow cabinet secretary for education and skills Miles Briggs said the party plans to get back to basics with a focus on improving reading, maths and science.

And the party intends to push for improvements in pupil behaviour.

Mr Briggs said: “Nicola Sturgeon said she wanted to be judged on education and the verdict on the SNP’s record is damning.

“There has been a long-term decline in reading, maths and science, the attainment gap widened on their watch and there has been an unacceptable rise in disorder and violence in schools.

“The Scottish Conservatives will continue to push for action to reverse this appalling deterioration and challenge the SNP’s continued dithering and deflection.”

No main party is keeping its cards as close to its chest as Scottish Labour, however, which failed to respond to the request from The Scotsman.

Reform UK was also contacted and asked to share its key education pledges for Scotland.

MSP Graham Simpson said colleges would be the main focus for the party and he would be calling for a budget settlement early in the new year to ensure none close.

He said: “They all face an uncertain future.

“I want to see a budget settlement that ensures no colleges close as that is a real risk.

“Colleges are vital if we are to train the workers of the future.”

Scottish Labour shared a TikTok video suggesting it will also call for a widespread ban on mobile phones in schools.