Tories say 'questions' must be asked over SNP plans to invest £12.5m in African education projects

First Minister John Swinney announced the funding for inclusive education in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia over the next five years.

The money will support a programme which aims to remove barriers to quality education for out-of-school children with disabilities and additional support needs, as well as another that aims to help girls and women complete secondary education and transition to tertiary or technical education.

However, the announcement received a mixed reaction on social media, with many people highlighting the current pressures on Scotland’s schools, including teacher cuts in Glasgow and a proposed shortening of the school week in Falkirk, amid local authority funding cuts.

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: “However worthy this programme may be there must be questions about why the SNP Government can announce overseas education funding while Jenny Gilruth holds back £145m from Scottish schools and councils are slashing the length of the school week.

“Even with desirable overseas schemes, being in government is about priorities and it’s high time the SNP started to take a common sense approach to our finances and put ordinary Scots’ priorities ahead of those of the Holyrood bubble.”

Ms Gilruth, the education secretary, has been locked in a stand-off with Scottish councils for several months over a £145.5m pot of funding she set aside for local authorities that agreed to maintain teacher numbers.

Mr Swinney met the High Commissioners of Malawi and Zambia, and the Deputy High Commissioner of Rwanda, during a series of engagements in London on Tuesday, where he re-affirmed the Scottish Government’s commitment to collaborative international development with its partner countries.  

The First Minister said: “This funding aims to help overcome some of the persistent barriers faced by women, girls and children with disabilities, to ensure they have equal access to education, and are fully included in the social and economic life of their communities.

“The Scottish Government has prioritised this work as part of our commitment to international development and good global citizenship, working in partnership with our counterparts in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia to meet the aims of the UN Sustainable Development goals.

“So I am very pleased to confirm this additional funding in support of those efforts. I am also grateful for the work of Oxfam, Link Education International and local partners in all three countries who are delivering these programmes to help some of the world’s most marginalised learners, who have the same right to a quality education as anyone else.”

H.E. Macenje Mazoka, Zambia High Commissioner to the UK, said: "The Scottish Government's ongoing commitment to inclusive education in Zambia is a testament to the strong bonds between our nations.

“Their support for programs that enhance access to quality education for all, especially for marginalised groups, aligns perfectly with Zambia's vision for equitable development.

“We look forward to strengthening the positive impact this partnership will continue to have on our education system and the lives of Zambian students, particularly those who are the most vulnerable."