Nicola Sturgeon pledge to eliminate attainment gap between richest and poorest Scots pupils 'in tatters'

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A landmark SNP pledge to eliminate the attainment gap between the richest and poorest Scots pupils is "in tatters" following the publication of this year's exam results, opposition parties have warned. ‌

Nicola Sturgeon used a keynote speech in 2015 to promise her government would "close the attainment gap completely" over the next decade - a policy ministers formally adopted a year later when John Swinney was serving as education secretary. ‌

But Higher and National 5 results out today show the richest 20 per cent of pupils continue to significantly outperform the 20 per cent of kids from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. ‌

Pam Duncan-Glancy, Scottish Labour education spokeswoman, said: "Right across our education system staff have gone above and beyond to give kids t