By Steve Bargeton, political editor

A MAJOR political row erupted last night over Scottish Government plans to scrap a multi- million pound scheme designed to improve standards in selected secondary schools.

Launched three years ago the Schools of Ambition scheme was a flagship policy of the last Labour-Lib Dem Executive.

In all, 52 schools were guaranteed £100,000 annually for three years in return for meeting performance targets.

Funding will continue until 2010 when the scheme will be wound up.

A Scottish Government spokesman confirmed yesterday there were no plans for any further schools of ambition.

Six of the schools are in Tayside and Fife—Blairgowrie High and Brechin High in the North Tayside constituency of finance cabinet secretary John Swinney; Braeview Academy in the Dundee East, constituency of public health minister Shona Robison; Arbroath Academy, and Kirkland High and Kirkcaldy High in Fife.

Scots philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter was one of the scheme’s first backers.

Yesterday Ewan Hunter, chief executive of the Hunter Foundation, which put £600,000 into the fund, said, “This is short-sighted in the extreme and what we need to do is find the evidence and spread it across the whole system,” he said.

“As a fundamental, it’s about time we started a discussion about taking politics out of education.”

Labour education spokesman Rhona Brankin said the decision“beggars belief.”

“The Schools of Ambition programme, introduced by Labour, has been an outstanding success in challenging and inspiring pupils across Scotland,” she said.

“Just like on many other issues, the SNP are happy to axe programmes despite the evidence of previous success staring them in the face.”

Scottish Tory schools spokesman Liz Smith said it was the SNP government that lacked ambition.

“Quite frankly, I am astonished that the Scottish Government is set to abandon these Schools of Ambition,” said the Mid Scotland and Fife MSP.

“After all the talk of a ‘smarter’ Scotland, I would have thought the SNP would be only too keen to support ideas where there is clearly fresh thinking, imagination and a determination to raise standards, especially at a time when too many schools are failing to deliver basic skills.”

Liberal Democrat education spokesman Jeremy Purvis said, “By scrapping the Schools of Ambition project, the SNP government has suggested that it is preparing for a programme of funding cuts to the education sector.

“As a proportion of the SNP’s budget, education and skills spending has fallen.

“Liberal Democrats are extremely concerned that this will result in cuts to services.

However a spokesperson for the Scottish Government pointed out £11.15 million is being spent on the project this year—almost £1 million more that last.

“The Scottish Government has invested record funding into the Schools of Ambition project—an increase from the previous administration,” said the spokesperson.

“The cabinet secretary is in full agreement with Ewan Hunter that we need to spread excellence across the whole school system, with lessons learned from the project put into practice across all schools so that all schools can be schools of ambition.

“That’s why we’re continuing to fund those schools on the Schools of Ambition programme—to the tune of £11.5 million in the current spending review period.

“There are currently 52 schools involved in the transformation programme.

“We are monitoring schools’ progress continuously and drawing out key learning that can be used by other schools in raising ambitions across Scotland.

“This process will begin at two national conferences being planned for June.”