LAST week the First Minister gave a major speech on education, where she asked to be judged on her government’s track record.

Good.

Life chances are improved by first-class schools, colleges and universities and high standards should be any administration’s benchmark.

But the simple fact of the matter is that the SNP have been in charge of Scottish education since 2007 – in other words they’ve had eight years to tackle inequalities, improve our schools and ensure that, no matter your background, every child in Scotland has the same chance to succeed.

Eight years. That’s a huge chunk of time.

Throughout that period, however, progress has been slow.

Nicola Sturgeon has admitted as much.

And there is real concern that as other nations surge ahead, Scottish education is going in the wrong direction.

Take the figures from last week which revealed that Scotland trails the rest of the UK when it comes to sending youngsters from the poorest backgrounds to university.

Data provided by UCAS (the body in charge of university admissions) showed that in Scotland just 9.7 per cent of those from the most disadvantaged areas have been accepted to university so far this summer.

That compares to 17 per cent in England, 13.9 per cent in Northern Ireland and 15.5 per cent in Wales, meaning Scotland is by far the worst performing part of the UK.

This is despite pledges by the SNP to close the attainment gap and ensure more pupils from the poorest backgrounds make it to university.

Quite simply, they continue to fail the children who need higher education opportunities the most.

Unfortunately, this seems to be the tip of the iceberg.

Earlier in the year it was confirmed that literacy rates had fallen across the board – at P4, P7 and S2.

The year before that, the same survey confirmed that numeracy skills were also on the wane.

To this, add in the fall in youngsters sitting science Highers, the complaints over the new Maths exam, the cut back in college places and a real terms decline in school spending.

The list goes on and on.

While she may not be proud of this record, Nicola Sturgeon cannot duck it.

Responsibility sits squarely at the SNP’s door.

And the longer these problems go unchecked, the more young people lose out.

It’s only by thinking boldly, by examining best practice from around the world that our education system will improve – and improve it must.

On our part, the Scottish Conservatives will continue to bang the drum for school reform and make the case that Scottish education could do with some fresh thinking.

For years, we have been calling for the re-introduction of standardised testing – not to put pupils under pressure, but so that we can understand how schools are performing and so that problems can be addressed at the earliest opportunity.

I am pleased the First Minister has reversed the Scottish Government’s position and has given the green light to primary tests.

But the sad fact is that in recent years those resistant to change have shouted down reforming voices.

This has got to stop.

Scotland needs a full and frank debate about what we do well and what can be improved; anything else, I’m afraid, just won’t cut it.

Nicola Sturgeon has asked to be judged on her record, and from where I’m standing the SNP’s report card reads clear – must do better.