Concerns over literacy and numeracy achievements

Concerns have been raised by a Glasgow councillor that after almost a decade into the city’s improvement challenge there has actually been a drop in numeracy and literacy achievements.

The Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC) which was launched back in 2015, is an initiative to improve educational outcomes for children and young people in Scotland, particularly those affected by poverty.

Its main aim was to close the poverty-related attainment gap and then provide more support for recovery from the pandemic by providing targeted improvements in literacy, numeracy, health and wellbeing.

The SAC has supported schools and local authorities across the education system.

The improvement challenge, which is specific to Glasgow, is being reviewed by education services and will focus on helping schools improve attainment.

During the operations and scrutiny committee, councillor John Dally asked about the drop in attainment in literacy and numeracy that had been recorded recently.

Councillor Daly said: “We are now nine years into the Scottish Attainment Challenge or the improvement challenge as it is called in Glasgow.

“It is quite concerning to see drops in numeracy and literacy. We are 1.3% down in literacy and 1.1% in numeracy. Does this represent a fault overall or just a year?

“Are we still seeing a gap between the poorest and most impoverished areas and the richer areas.”

A council officer confirmed that the data was based on the attainment levels from last years.

They said: “It is about a particular year group. We are looking into that and what support and what work can be done in order to support that year group. It is a particular stage that has had that impact.

“In terms of that poverty related attainment gap we are still seeing that narrowing which is a positive however we need to see how our overall attainment on a steady incline.

“We will continue in terms of working to do that.”