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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to unveil legislative plans | Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to unveil legislative plans |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Education and welfare are expected to feature heavily when the Scottish first minister unveils her new programme for government. | Education and welfare are expected to feature heavily when the Scottish first minister unveils her new programme for government. |
| Nicola Sturgeon will set out the Scottish government's legislation for the coming year, as well as summarising its main goals for the future. | Nicola Sturgeon will set out the Scottish government's legislation for the coming year, as well as summarising its main goals for the future. |
| New measures will include standardised assessments in primary schools. | New measures will include standardised assessments in primary schools. |
| Ms Sturgeon will also set out how she intends to use new welfare powers which are to be devolved to Holyrood. | Ms Sturgeon will also set out how she intends to use new welfare powers which are to be devolved to Holyrood. |
| That could eventually mean extra support for carers, for people with disabilities and for job seekers. | That could eventually mean extra support for carers, for people with disabilities and for job seekers. |
| The publication of the programme will signal the start of the Scottish Parliament's final session before next May's election, when Ms Sturgeon's SNP will be looking to win another overall majority. | The publication of the programme will signal the start of the Scottish Parliament's final session before next May's election, when Ms Sturgeon's SNP will be looking to win another overall majority. |
| There will also be action to tackle domestic abuse, to reform the private rented sector and to address concerns over infant cremations following the "baby ash" scandals at crematoriums in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Fife and Glasgow. | There will also be action to tackle domestic abuse, to reform the private rented sector and to address concerns over infant cremations following the "baby ash" scandals at crematoriums in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Fife and Glasgow. |
| An inquiry led by judge Lord Bonomy made a series of recommendations last year after it emerged that the ashes of hundreds of babies were disposed of without their parents' knowledge. | An inquiry led by judge Lord Bonomy made a series of recommendations last year after it emerged that the ashes of hundreds of babies were disposed of without their parents' knowledge. |
| The first minister will also defend her government's record in areas such as the NHS - which opponents say is open to criticism. | The first minister will also defend her government's record in areas such as the NHS - which opponents say is open to criticism. |
| Speaking ahead of her statement to MSPs, Ms Sturgeon told BBC Scotland that the Programme for Government would be "bold and ambitious" and would list the policies her government would pursue to "support our economy, improve public services and tackle inequality." | Speaking ahead of her statement to MSPs, Ms Sturgeon told BBC Scotland that the Programme for Government would be "bold and ambitious" and would list the policies her government would pursue to "support our economy, improve public services and tackle inequality." |
| She added: "But it will do more than that. It will also look beyond this parliamentary term to the next decade and beyond, looking at how we will improve education, improve our health service, reform these services for the next 10 years or more and we'll do that by building on the strong foundations that we've already created over the past eight years." | She added: "But it will do more than that. It will also look beyond this parliamentary term to the next decade and beyond, looking at how we will improve education, improve our health service, reform these services for the next 10 years or more and we'll do that by building on the strong foundations that we've already created over the past eight years." |
| The first minister's statement will also set out more details on how her government hopes to raise attainment in schools after her admission in May that the Scottish education system was not performing as well as it should be. | The first minister's statement will also set out more details on how her government hopes to raise attainment in schools after her admission in May that the Scottish education system was not performing as well as it should be. |
| Literacy standards | Literacy standards |
| Opposition parties have highlighted the continuing "attainment gap" between those from Scotland's wealthiest and poorest backgrounds. | Opposition parties have highlighted the continuing "attainment gap" between those from Scotland's wealthiest and poorest backgrounds. |
| And the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy said in April that literacy standards in P4, P7 and S2 had fallen. The survey flagged up a similar drop in numeracy standards last year. | And the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy said in April that literacy standards in P4, P7 and S2 had fallen. The survey flagged up a similar drop in numeracy standards last year. |
| Ms Sturgeon is expected to outline moves towards standardising assessment in primary schools and the early years of secondary schools as part of her pledge to ensure that every child has an equal chance to succeed. | Ms Sturgeon is expected to outline moves towards standardising assessment in primary schools and the early years of secondary schools as part of her pledge to ensure that every child has an equal chance to succeed. |
| National tests for students aged under 14 were scrapped more than 10 years ago. | National tests for students aged under 14 were scrapped more than 10 years ago. |
| ANALYSIS | ANALYSIS |
| By Glenn Campbell, BBC Scotland political correspondent | |
| It's Holyrood's equivalent of the Queen's speech. But it's the first minister rather than the monarch that sets out the programme for devolved government. | |
| It's expected to include eight new bills to be pushed through the Scottish Parliament in the eight months that remain before the next Holyrood elections in May 2016. | |
| New laws on everything from revenge pornography to private rented accommodation; from cremation following the baby ashes scandal to the formal creation of a Scottish fiscal commission as Holyrood takes on more tax powers. | |
| Education will grab much attention as the Scottish government seeks to introduce standardised national assessment in primary and the first years of secondary school - as part of a new drive to improve attainment. | |
| But what's more striking about this programme than any individual measure is its overall focus on the future. | |
| Nicola Sturgeon is indicating how she intends to use the tax, welfare and employment powers that Holyrood will gain in the years ahead. | |
| In setting out a "vision for the coming decade", the first minister is staking the SNP's claim to continue in office for two or perhaps three more terms. | |
| Bold? Yes. Presumptuous? Maybe. | |
| But the opinion polls suggest the post referendum surge in support for the SNP may have risen higher. | |
| In Labour and the other opposition parties at Holyrood, there's a sense that loosening the nationalist's grip on power is not a short term project. | |
| Scotland's largest teachers union, the EIS, has already said it would oppose the return of a national testing system, partly over fears that the data could be used to make league tables of how well schools are performing - although the government has said it will not do this. | Scotland's largest teachers union, the EIS, has already said it would oppose the return of a national testing system, partly over fears that the data could be used to make league tables of how well schools are performing - although the government has said it will not do this. |
| Scottish Labour said closing the attainment gap in education should be at the heart of the Programme for Government. | Scottish Labour said closing the attainment gap in education should be at the heart of the Programme for Government. |
| Its leader Kezia Dugdale said: "Today the SNP government has a chance to change the lives hundreds of thousands of Scottish children. They should grasp it. | Its leader Kezia Dugdale said: "Today the SNP government has a chance to change the lives hundreds of thousands of Scottish children. They should grasp it. |
| "Children who started High School this week have spent every year of their time at school under an SNP Government. What have we seen for it? | "Children who started High School this week have spent every year of their time at school under an SNP Government. What have we seen for it? |
| "We see a 12% attainment gap in reading between the rich and the poor, a 21% gap in writing and a 24% gap in numeracy. Almost half of the poorest kids leaving primary school are unable to write properly or to count properly. | "We see a 12% attainment gap in reading between the rich and the poor, a 21% gap in writing and a 24% gap in numeracy. Almost half of the poorest kids leaving primary school are unable to write properly or to count properly. |
| "Scotland can be better than that. By investing in these kids we are investing in the country's most powerful and potent natural resource." | "Scotland can be better than that. By investing in these kids we are investing in the country's most powerful and potent natural resource." |
| Ms Dugdale called for all school inspections to be suspended for a year while the inspection regime was redesigned. | Ms Dugdale called for all school inspections to be suspended for a year while the inspection regime was redesigned. |
| "The first minister is the most powerful woman in British politics today, she's had a year to get used to the job, and it's time she started wielding that power to build a fairer nation," she added. | "The first minister is the most powerful woman in British politics today, she's had a year to get used to the job, and it's time she started wielding that power to build a fairer nation," she added. |
| ANALYSIS | |
| By Jamie McIvor, BBC Scotland education correspondent | |
| The phrase national testing will not be used by the Scottish government - but standardising the assessment process for primary school and early secondary school students would mark a return to a form of national testing. | |
| National testing for five to 13-year-olds was scrapped in Scotland in 2003 by the Labour-Lib Dem coalition led by Jack McConnell. | |
| Standardising assessments could prove controversial - unions have already put a shot across the government's bows - but much of the devil will actually be in the detail. Read more |