SNP ministers have been accused of failing to keep their promise to give free laptops or tablets to West Dunbartonshire schoolchildren – after it emerged that 17 percent have been bought new devices.
During the 2021 Holyrood election campaign, the SNP claimed they would deliver “into the hands of every school child in Scotland a laptop, Chromebook or tablet to use in school and at home”.
John Swinney likened the pledge on new devices to teachers “in his day” handing jotters to pupils.
Eighteen months on, 2084 have been bought using Scottish Government funding in West Dunbartonshire, representing 17 percent of the 12,330 school roll.
In neighbouring Argyll and Bute, covering Helensburgh and Lomond, 1356 have been purchased. This represents 13 percent of the 10,068 school roll.
Both authorities advise there are more devices available.
West Dunbartonshire Council says 85 percent access a device for individual learning.
Dumbarton constituency MSP Jackie Baillie says these are not the new devices as promised by the Scottish Government – which has hit back to say the commitment will ensure every schoolchild has access to a device by 2026.
Ms Baillie said she was disappointed by the figures, which were revealed following a Freedom of Information request to the councils.
She said: “Children are being failed by this SNP Government and this is the latest promise which has been broken.
“Their record on education is shocking and is leaving our young people to struggle, with worse outcomes for those in deprived areas compared to those in more affluent regions.
“I am seriously disappointed that only 15 percent of children across the two councils in my constituency have been given a new device.
“These figures lay bare that the Scottish Government made empty promises that they didn’t mean to keep during their Scottish Parliament campaign in 2021. These devices would have helped level the playing field for young people who have been adversely affected by school closures and disruption to learning through the pandemic but instead just a fraction of them have received the new devices they were promised.
“The Cabinet Secretary for Education, and indeed the Deputy First Minister who was so keen to talk up this pledge when it was made, need to draw up an action plan to ensure these devices are rolled out across the board.
“With the current situation, they risk some of the young people who would have been helped most, leaving education by the time we see this promise come true – if we ever do.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “This is incorrect. We are committed to ensuring that every school-aged child has access to a device and connectivity to support their learning by the end of this parliament in 2026 – which we continued to set out in our Programme for Government 2022-23.”
He said the Scottish Government has provided £25m to local authorities, which supported the purchase of 72,000 devices and 14,000 internet connections.
