It’s a hell of an ask to eliminate the poverty-related attainment gap without eliminating poverty

It made for a tough day of media rounds for the cabinet secretary for education, Jenny Gilruth, who was asked if she would set a “benchmark for success” to measure educational attainment.

Likely mindful of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s promise to significantly reduce the poverty-related attainment gap by 2026, Ms Gilruth declined.

Setting targets is little but setting a trap for politicians. Any clear, measurable statement of intent is likely to come back to haunt them should their party fail to deliver the goods.

On Tuesday that pledge from Ms Sturgeon was the leading interview question as the cabinet secretary visited King’s Park High School in Glasgow.

While the poverty gap - between the exam successes of the most affluent and least affluent pupils - has narrowed, it has done so to such a minor extent as to be practically static. That is, it was a fall of 0.1 per cent.

Ms Gilruth, a former teacher, had plenty of answers - the 2026 target has been stymied by the pandemic. Austerity policies generated by governments at Westminster have squeezed education budgets.

This year she was relatively relaxed about the question - and far more relaxed than last year - because the headline figures were, on their face, good. Results up across the board and plenty of defence lines among the figures.

Tuesday’s results were styled by the SQA as a “landmark year” for Scotland’s young learners. Given this is the final year of the SQA, before the expected introduction of replacement exams body Qualifications Scotland in December, it’s understandable they want to go out with a bang.

But it’s more of a snapper than a firecracker.

Attainment levels are up only marginally and down on 2023.

Asked by The Scotsman whether this really is “landmark”, Donna Stewart, Scotland’s Chief Examining Officer, was quick to say the SQA is not only referring to National 5, Higher and Advance Higher results but the “wider picture” of a record number of young people studying for vocational qualifications.

More than 100,000 vocational and technical qualifications have been awarded this year - a record.

On poverty, the SNP MSP made a vital point that deserves far closer scrutiny than it has had. Anti-poverty measures in Scotland’s schools have been “normalised”, Ms Gilruth observed.

Teachers are no longer “just” teachers - they are quasi-social workers, counsellors and benefits advisors.

Visit almost any school in an economically deprived area and you’ll find it being utilised as an extension of the welfare state - food banks on site, clothing banks, uniform banks, in-school benefits advice services.

Head teachers are using Pupil Equity Funding to plug gaps that should be filled by standard funding.

It’s a hell of an ask to eliminate the poverty-related attainment gap without eliminating poverty. Of course, eliminating poverty was another SNP pledge that sets the government up for failure.

That’s the landscape in which schools are operating. They are also working with straitened budgets, reduced staffing levels, reduced support staff and the long lingering effects of the pandemic.

The positive headline figures are only temporary respite. An election is coming, and pointing to a marginal increase in the number of pupils gaining Highers won’t see off the opposition attacks.

Though, as Ms Gilruth said herself, pupils deserve more than political rammies. Schools and the young people in them certainly deserve more than they’re currently receiving.