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Education top of Labour's agenda Education at heart of Labour plan
(about 3 hours later)
Labour has promised to put education first at the launch of its Holyrood election manifesto. Labour uses its Holyrood election manifesto launch to put education at the heart of its plans for the next parliament.
The party's Scottish leader, Jack McConnell, set out his 20-year vision for teaching and training. The party's Scottish leader, Jack McConnell, said education would have "first call" on all extra spending by the Scottish Executive.
This includes a new pledge to expand the availability of modern language lessons. He insisted other departments would have to "cut their cloth" accordingly.
Mr McConnell wants to make Scotland the best educated country in the world and has already committed Labour to raising the school leaving age to 18. Mr McConnell also included a pledge to expand the availability of modern language lessons for children.
He also plans to create 100 skills academies to teach trades. The party, which has already given commitments to raising the school leaving age to 18, said Scotland should be the best educated country in the world.
At the manifesto launch he promised to recruit 500 extra language teachers and assistants to help equip young Scots for the global economy. At the manifesto launch on Tuesday in Glasgow, he promised to recruit 500 extra language teachers and assistants to help equip young Scots for the global economy.
For Scotland to be the best equipped, most effective and most enlightened, then all of our people must be the best educated Jack McConnell href="/1/hi/scotland/6539905.stm">Elsewhere on the election trail The people in the most expensive homes, for example, those whose homes are worth more than £1m, will pay a little bit more each year to make the system fairer Jack McConnell href="/1/hi/scotland/6541383.stm">At-a-glance: Scottish Labour manifesto
A new education bill would also enshrine in law the right of headteachers to exclude unruly pupils.A new education bill would also enshrine in law the right of headteachers to exclude unruly pupils.
Mr McConnell told those attending the launch event in Glasgow: "To put Scotland first, we must put education first. Launching the 103-page document Mr McConnell insisted he was "not fighting" for his job but "fighting for Scotland".
"For Scotland to be the best equipped, most effective and most enlightened, then all of our people must be the best educated." He told those attending the event: "To put Scotland first, we must put education first.
Labour has also pledged to raise the cap on university and college places for the first time in a decade and increase the number of Scots studying science and technology subjects. "We can now take our most radical step yet. This is bigger than the smoking ban, more important than our justice reforms, more groundbreaking than Fresh Talent."
The manifesto commits a Labour administration to producing an education bill within its first 100 days. Council tax has already emerged as a key election battleground, and Labour's plans for reform of the system go into more detail than the party has previously given.
'Fairer system'
Mr McConnell said the reform will be achieved by creating an extra band at the top and the bottom of the scale - by turning Band A and Band H into two bands each.
Scotland has just over 11,000 Band H homes.
Mr McConnell said: "The people in the most expensive homes, for example, those whose homes are worth more than £1m, will pay a little bit more each year to make the system fairer."
The Labour Party is putting children first in its manifestoLabour has also promised to raise the cap on university and college places for the first time in a decade and increase the number of those studying science and technology subjects.
The manifesto has committed a Labour administration to producing an education bill within its first 100 days in office.
The party has also promised to scrap water and sewerage charges for pensioners.
New plans include initially reimbursing the elderly for half the cost of bills before ultimately "moving towards" complete abolition.
On jobs, the party would set up a new full employment agency with the aim of getting 100,000 people off benefits and into work.On jobs, the party would set up a new full employment agency with the aim of getting 100,000 people off benefits and into work.
Name and shame
Labour would also double business rate discounts for small firms and give other rate cuts for firms involved in research and development.Labour would also double business rate discounts for small firms and give other rate cuts for firms involved in research and development.
Waiting times
On health, waiting time targets would be halved, setting a maximum wait by 2011 of 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment, with shorter waits for more urgent treatment.On health, waiting time targets would be halved, setting a maximum wait by 2011 of 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment, with shorter waits for more urgent treatment.
A new waiting time standard of nine weeks would be introduced for physiotherapists, clinical psychologists and chiropodists by 2011.A new waiting time standard of nine weeks would be introduced for physiotherapists, clinical psychologists and chiropodists by 2011.
On crime, Labour wants to name and shame those responsible for anti-social behaviour.On crime, Labour wants to name and shame those responsible for anti-social behaviour.
The manifesto also holds out the prospect of "community courts" where people can have a say in how offenders should pay back communities.
On the environment, it has pledged financial incentives for domestic recycling and energy efficiency, and a Scottish climate change bill.On the environment, it has pledged financial incentives for domestic recycling and energy efficiency, and a Scottish climate change bill.
For families, there would be a beefing up of the "homestake" scheme to help the less well-off onto the housing ladder.
There would also be a commitment to first halve, then remove completely, water and sewerage charges for pensioners.