Reformation of Scotland’s top education agency is an opportunity for it to “take ownership for closing the poverty-related attainment gap” MSPs have said.

One week before the release of Scotland’s exam results, Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee has recommended that Education Scotland’s replacement is held accountable for assessing the success of key government attainment pledges.

Alongside the new education agency, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) will be replaced, with both set to be fully established by 2024.

In its report into the Scottish Attainment Challenge, the committee noted concern at the evidence of variation in education performance across local authorities in Scotland.

It urged the education agency to urgently investigate the variations and set out the actions it is taking to ensure consistency across the country.

The report also considered the latest Audit Scotland report from 2021 which noted the attainment gap was “wide with limited progress” and had been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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