Post-16 reform: SNP must acknowledge the problem lies with them

Speaking after the Scottish Government statement on post-16 reform, Liz Smith MSP, Scottish Conservative Education Spokesperson, said:

"We need to provide clearer choices and increased aspirations for all students, but Mike Russell and the SNP have utterly failed to deal with the key issue which is threatening all aspects of post-16 education.

"Whether he likes it or not, the fact remains that the funding of higher education in Scotland has wide-ranging and profound ramifications for all post-16 education. The decision about how we fund one part of the education system has important consequences for how much we can afford to spend on other education programmes.

"The SNP's refusal to acknowledge the true extent of the funding gap is not only threatening the excellence of our university system, but it is also threatening to undermine the ability of other educational establishments to provide better educational opportunities.

"It is simply not acceptable for the SNP to say that the main problem lies with colleges and universities themselves and accuse their governing bodies of a lack of transparency and accountability. The problem lies with the SNP and until they face up to that fact, nothing will improve."

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