FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon will today put education at the heart of her term as First Minister.

In a major keynote speech she will unveil a fresh approach to ensure every child in Scotland has an equal chance to succeed in their school education.

On a visit to Wester Hailes Education Centre this morning, the First Minister will announce details of how the second phase of the £100 million Attainment Scotland Fund, launched earlier this year, will support schools, parents and pupils.

She will say: “My priority for my time as First Minister is that every young person should have the same advantage that I did when I was growing up in Ayrshire. They should know that if they have the talent and work hard enough, they will be able to fulfil their potential.

“That’s a challenge for schools, for local government, indeed for society as a whole – and it’s one on which my government is determined to show leadership.

“Because by succeeding, we’ll secure a fairer and more prosperous future – not just for the boys and girls starting school today – but for all young people and for Scotland as a whole.”

The speech comes ahead of further education announcements that Sturgeon will make to Parliament in September.

She is expected to mount a strong defence of her government’s record on education and in particular of the introduction of the Curriculum for Excellence.

Sturgeon is expected to say: “Scotland pioneered the idea of universal access to school education in the 17th and 18th centuries. Ever since then, a commitment to education has been part of our identity, part of our sense of ourselves.

“But it’s about much more than pride in our past. Excellence in education is essential to our prosperity, competitiveness, wellbeing – to our overall success as a nation – in the future as well.

“Despite the undoubted challenges that we face, Scotland’s schools are a success story.’’

The First Minister will describe the last eight years as “tough” and point to the pressures public spending cuts have put on the Scottish Government, local government and many families. But she will argue that education in Scotland has made progress.

“The introduction of Curriculum for Excellence has been a major step forward – and one which is attracting international attention,” she will say.

“It gives teachers more flexibility, provides a broader education for young people, and sets higher standards for achievement than ever before.’’

Sturgeon will point to the fact that 520 schools have been rebuilt or refurbished in Scotland since 2007 – 200 more than in the previous eight years. And she will say there are now fewer than 500 primary one pupils in classes of more than 25, compared to more than 15,000 in 2016.

She will add: “And we are seeing better outcomes than ever before. School-leaver destinations are the best on record. Of the students who left school last year, more than nine out of 10 were in employment, education or training nine months later.

“Two weeks ago, young people in Scotland gained a record number of passes at Higher and Advanced Higher.

“The basic picture is clear. In every part of the country, Scotland has good schools, good teachers, and our young people are good learners. Standards have risen and are continuing to rise.”

A new scheme aimed at encouraging parents to give out-of-classroom lessons in reading, writing and counting was launched yesterday by Education Secretary Angela Constance.

The new campaign, which is aimed at pupils in primaries one to three, is supported by the Scottish Book Trust.Read, Write, Count seeks to build on the established PlayTalkRead strategy for babies and toddlers, which was launched in 2011.

It also comes on the back of official figures published earlier this year that revealed literacy standards in Scottish schools were falling.

According to the 2014 Scottish Survey of Literacy, the number of children performing well or very well in writing at S2 level fell from 64 per cent in 2012 to 55 per cent in 2014.

There were also drops in the number of pupils at all stages performing well or very well in reading and writing.

Yesterday the Scottish Government insisted parents and carers must help drive up standards, saying: “While schools have a crucial role to play in raising attainment, evidence shows that parental involvement in learning makes an important difference.

“In particular, we need to see effective parental involvement programmes that help parents to support children’s learning at home, complementing what is learned in schools.

“Read, Write, Count is about providing good-quality advice and support to Scotland’s parents – particularly parents in disadvantaged circumstances – to ensure that the family learning journey continues after children start school.”

Launching the campaign at Craigswood Sports Centre in Livingston, West Lothian, Constance urged parents to build learning experiences into their children’s every day routine to help drive standards up.

Examples include reading road signs and shop fronts while walking and asking youngsters to count the number of steps they take during a journey.

She said: “Ensuring children read, write and count well early is key to their success at school and in life.

“There’s lots of really good work already underway across Scotland and Read, Write, Count will bring some exciting new and fun ideas into the mix.

“Crucially, it will encourage parents and families to play a key role in helping their children – something all the evidence suggests can have a big impact on how well children do at school.”

The three-year scheme, delivered in partnership with Education Scotland, will include outreach services in disadvantaged communities and see all children in P1-3 given support packs containing books and other learning materials through their schools.