Achievements in education by the Labour government in Wales “put the SNP’s record to shame”, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has said.
Ms Dugdale is on a visit to Wales to meet Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones and other ministers, and to see first-hand the impact of his government’s policies.
The Welsh Government set a target of closing the attainment gap between the richest pupils and the rest by 10% within five years, compared to 2012 levels, for children between the age of three and seven.
The government has reported it achieved an 11.1% reduction by 2014.
Ms Dugdale has repeatedly challenged the Scottish Government on its education policies, claiming it has not done enough to tackle the attainment gap between Scotland’s wealthiest and poorest pupils since coming to power in 2007.
Statistics show private-school pupils in Scotland are twice as likely to get an A in their Highers than state-school pupils while school leavers from richer backgrounds are much more likely to go on to higher education than those from poorer backgrounds.
Speaking after a meeting with education minister Huw Lewis AM, Ms Dugdale said: “The progress the Labour Welsh Government has made in closing the gap between the richest and the rest in schools is an example of what can be achieved by having the right priorities.
“Of course there is more to be done, but this is a proud Labour achievement and puts the SNP’s record to shame.
“Just imagine if the SNP government spent all its time working to give our young people a fair shot at life. Lives could be transformed and opportunities opened up.
“Scotland needs a government focused on the future, not the past. Instead of rerunning old arguments from last year, it’s time for everybody in Scottish politics to do everything we can to give young people in Scotland the best chance in life.
“The ability of every child to get on in life should be determined by their potential, work rate and ambition, not by how much money their parents have.
“If anybody in Scottish politics doesn’t see that as the priority, then they should step aside and let someone else do the job.”