This is the list of documents available for the submission By Councillor Euan Blockley:- "Council notes the recent release of the Evaluation of Attainment Scotland Fund - Third interim report - Year 4 which states: 'On a number of NIF attainment measures, there is some progress in closing the attainment gap, although this is a varied picture depending on the measure under consideration. Overall, quantitative measures of the attainment gap do not yet show a consistent pattern of improvement.' Council regrets the slow pace of progress in closing the attainment gap in Scotland, despite the First Minister of Scotland identifying it specifically in 2015 as the priority by which she should be personally judged. Council notes that the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic has the potential to worsen educational inequality in Scotland. Council further acknowledges the impact of the Scottish Government's cuts to Glasgow's budget which put pressure on Council's resources to improve educational attainment within the city. Council notes Scotland's local government revenue budget decreased by 7.1% between 2013/14-2018/19, a rate 9 times higher than the change to the Scottish Government's revenue budget over the same period, and that the latest Scottish Government GERS figures show that these cuts have been forced on councils despite public expenditure in Scotland being £1,633 higher than the UK average due to the UK Government's Barnett Formula. Council notes the recent publication of the Scottish Conservative educational policy paper entitled 'Restore our Schools' which outlines a number of measures designed to improve educational standards in Scotland. These include: - the recruitment of 3,000 teachers - including over 300 here in Glasgow. - the establishment of a national tutoring programme to give extra support to pupils who have fallen behind their peers during the Coronavirus pandemic. - a new independent school and education inspector which would report to the Scottish Parliament and ensure that education policy is genuinely accountable to the electorate. Council further notes the Scottish Government's rejection of a motion tabled in the Scottish Parliament which would have sought to plainly state the priority of the Scottish Government to focus on narrowing the attainment gap in schools instead of talking about the constitution and separation. Council regrets that the Scottish Government refused to make this commitment and that it would rather prioritise constitutional debate over action on attainment. Council welcomes the UK Government's commitment to bridging the gap between education and employment with a comprehensive package of support for businesses to invest in training and apprenticeships, including through the £2 billion Kickstart Scheme. Council encourages eligible Glasgow businesses to participate in the scheme and provide opportunities to our city's young people at risk of long term unemployment. Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills outlining its support for the Scottish Government to plainly state that its priority is narrowing the attainment gap and that this is a far greater priority than debates over separation..

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