Labour has pledged to spend an extra £125 million and bring in new laws in a bid to end the “scandal” of children from deprived areas being “let down” by the education system.
Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy criticised the attainment gap that exists between rich and poor that sees some children “left behind year after year”.
Earlier this month, the Scottish Government announced it was setting up a £100 million Attainment Scotland Fund in a bid to tackle the problem over the next four years.
Mr Murphy has now pledged Labour would commit £125 million more over the course of the next Parliament if it wins the 2016 Holyrood elections.
He also said a future Labour administration would attempt to change the law to require both ministers and councils to publish annual updates on their efforts to close the attainment gap.
The party hopes to amend the Scottish Government’s forthcoming Education Bill to achieve this, as well as using the legislation to ensure all local authorities appoint a chief education officer, who would lead the work against educational inequality in their area.
A National Centre of Excellence of Education would be set up to ensure schools and teachers from across the country can share best practice while Labour also plans to double the number of teaching assistants in those primary schools associated with the 20 secondary schools where it claims the current administration has “failed the most”.
Scotland currently has the lowest proportion of university students from deprived backgrounds in the UK, Labour said, with the party accusing nationalists of “neglecting” the issue.
Mr Murphy said: “Research from independent experts shows that children from poorer working-class backgrounds have less chance of getting on in life through access to university education. That isn’t right.
“I’ve spoken about closing the attainment gap between rich and poor, and I have already announced how we would direct funds from taxing the most prosperous people in Scotland towards ending this scandal.
“But we must never again see children left behind year after year by government ministers as this SNP Government has done for eight years.
“Scottish Labour MSPs will use the SNP Government’s forthcoming Education Bill to place a statutory obligation on ministers to reduce this gap, and on the Education Secretary to report to parliament every year on progress.
“We will seek to place a similar obligation on local authorities, but too many councils now have no professional educationalists at a senior level.
“So, we will also seek to create a new statutory position of chief education officer in every council, with the obligation of driving up educational standards and specifically reducing the attainment gap.”
Mr Murphy added: “When Scotland’s families flourish, Scotland flourishes. But under the SNP, working-class families are being let down and find themselves almost locked out of the opportunity to get on in life through education.
“Last week in a speech to academics and economists, I said that inequality is a moral scandal that is holding the whole country back from a better future.
“We build a better, more prosperous Scotland by building a fairer, more equal Scotland. The key to a better future for everyone is better opportunity for working-class families in Scotland.
“I’m ambitious for Scotland’s future and Scotland’s families, and that means that no longer can some have a head start because of the postcode they grew up in.
“Scottish Labour will address this with funds, increased professionalism in the system and the force of law.”