KINGLASSIE MSP, Jenny Gilruth, has welcomed the announcement from the Scottish Government that a fund aimed at boosting the attainment levels of deprived pupils is set to pay out £10,101,480 to schools across Fife next year.

More than 2,300 schools across Scotland are set to benefit from the funding – including 157 across the Kingdom.

The funding is targeted towards schools who have the highest numbers of pupils receiving free school meals, so that the money is spent where it is needed most and several in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area are set to benefit.

The significant investment gives money directly to headteachers, allowing them to spend the money on local initiatives that will help close the poverty-related attainment gap.

Commenting, the Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP, Jenny Gilruth, said: “The Scottish Government has made closing the poverty-related attainment gap a key priority in this Parliament – and the latest investment of over £10.1 million in schools across the Kingdom is a central part of that.

“By placing excellence and equity at the very heart of our schools in Fife, the pupil equity fund will help support the Scottish Government’s transformative education reforms and raise standards across Scotland.

“I know from engaging with a number of head teachers on the subject that some innovative thinking is taking place on how this funding is best deployed and I think that can only benefit the children being educated in these schools.’’