Scottish schools in poor areas to get £45 million to close attainment gap

Scottish schools in poor areas to get £45 million to close attainment gap

Nine local authorities and 72 individual schools have been allocated funding from the Scottish Attainment Challenge for education initiatives and projects targeting the most deprived children.

Around £45 million will be allocated to primary and secondary schools in 2017-18 from a £750 million cash pot in a bid to close the poverty-related attainment gap.

Deputy first minister, John Swinney, who announced the funding at Newark Primary School Holiday Club, said: “Improving the education and life chances of our children and young people is the defining mission of this government.

“Central to this is the Scottish Attainment Challenge, which is providing £750 million during the course of this Parliament to tackle the poverty-related attainment gap by supporting hundreds of schools develop approaches to improve literacy, numeracy and health and well-being.”

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