The SNP have been slammed for a “pitiful” lack of progress on the creation of a National Digital Academy, which was a key pledge in their 2021 Scottish Parliament election manifesto.
Freedom of Information requests by the Scottish Conservatives and responses to written questions by shadow education secretary Liam Kerr reveal that any plans for the academy are still at a “development” stage.
The SNP’s manifesto said a National Digital Academy would allow people to study Highers regardless of their age, where they live or where their school is located and promised to end the “postcode lottery” of subject choice.
However, in over two-and-a-half years since the election, the SNP have confirmed that not a single penny has been put towards a National Digital Academy, and only four civil servants are currently working on the plans.
Liam Kerr says that this is “further proof” that, whatever the SNP’s claims, education is clearly not their top priority.
He added that the failures to get a National Digital Academy “off the ground” is the latest in a litany of “broken promises” by the SNP in relation to Scottish education, following their failure to eradicate the poverty-related attainment gap and further delays in giving free laptops to all school pupils.
Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Liam Kerr MSP said: “The SNP’s progress on creating a National Digital Academy is nothing short of pitiful.
“This was a flagship promise they made to voters ahead of the 2021 election, but they have failed to spend asingle penny in two-and-a-half years.
“That is a total dereliction of duty and further proof that, despite their warm words, education is simply not the SNP’s top priority.
“For plans to still only be at a development stage shows a complete lack of urgency from successive SNP education secretaries.
“This failure to get a digital academy off the ground is just the latest in a litany of education-related failures from the SNP. They’ve failed miserably in eradicating the attainment gap in our schools and recently announced a further delay to their much-promised rollout of free laptops to every pupil.
“Jenny Gilruth must urgently explain why so few people are working on this key manifesto commitment and when plans for a National Digital Academy will finally come to fruition.”
Notes
The Scottish Government has failed to make any progress on the creation of a National Digital Academy despite this being a key manifesto promise. A Freedom of Information request asked for ‘the progress on the creation of a National Digital Academy’. In response, the Scottish Government said: ‘The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy. Details of timescales and potential costs will be available when these are complete.’ In the 2021 SNP manifesto they committed to ‘establish a National Digital Academy’ and in the 2021-2022 Programme for Government they committed to ‘develop a National Digital Academy’. (FOI Available on request, 22 November 2023; SNP 2021 Manifesto, 15 April 2021, link; Programme for Government, 7 September 2021, link).
The Scottish Government have spent no money on the creation of a National Digital Academy despite this being a key manifesto promise. In response to a written question by Liam Kerr, Jenny Girulth said: ‘There have been no costs incurred to date on the development of a National Digital Academy.’ In the 2021 SNP manifesto they committed to ‘establish a National Digital Academy’ and in the 2021-2022 Programme for Government they committed to ‘develop a National Digital Academy’. (Scottish Parliament, 27 November 2023, link; SNP 2021 Manifesto, 15 April 2021, link; Programme for Government, 7 September 2021, link).
The Scottish Government has produced no progress reports on the creation of a National Digital Academy despite this being a key manifesto promise. In response to a written question by Liam Kerr, Jenny Girulth said: ‘Scottish Government are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy. Accordingly, specific formal progress reports have not been produced or published.’ (Scottish Parliament, 27 November 2023, link; SNP 2021 Manifesto, 15 April 2021, link; Programme for Government, 7 September 2021, link).
The Scottish Government have only four officials working on the creation of a National Digital Academy despite this being a key manifesto promise. In response to a written question by Liam Kerr, Jenny Girulth said: ‘Scottish Government are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy. A core team of four officials within Education Scotland are currently working together on the development of options. Other officials within Education Scotland and Scottish Government are also inputting as necessary to this work’. (Scottish Parliament, 27 November 2023, link; SNP 2021 Manifesto, 15 April 2021, link; Programme for Government, 7 September 2021, link).
The Scottish Government have no launch date for the National Digital Academy despite announcing policy two years ago. A Freedom of Information request asked for ‘the expected launch date of the National Digital Academy’. In response, the Scottish Government said: ‘The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy. Details of timescales and potential costs will be available when these are complete.’ (FOI Available on request, 22 November 2023; SNP 2021 Manifesto, 15 April 2021, link; Programme for Government, 7 September 2021, link).