ANYONE who questioned Nicola Sturgeon’s sincerity on her pledge to tackle the attainment gap in schools got their answer in her re-shuffle this week.

By putting John Swinney in charge of education, the First Minister made it clear she is serious about this challenge.

Normally a move from Finance to Education would be seen as a demotion for a minister but in this case it is a promotion for education to the very top of the government agenda.

Mr Swinney has a serious task ahead of him. For years it has been accepted by too many people that pupils form poorer backgrounds will normally achieve lower results.

In Glasgow, schools in the most deprived areas have made some progress.

Exam results are improving, although still among the lowest in the country.

The number of pupils staying on beyond 16 has improved and probably most significant has been a steady improvement in the positive leaver destinations.

More leavers as now going on to employment, education or training after school. The city is slowly but surely shaking of its NEET capital tag, but there is still work to do.

The First Minister’s commitment and desire to succeed in closing the attainment gap is ambitious and if she and Mr Swinney achieve the ambition it will undoubtedly be considered one of the biggest successes of any Scottish Government.

To do so there needs to be adequate resources given to schools, councils and colleges.

Education has suffered from cutbacks in recent years that cannot continue.

It is not only in education however, that the gap between rich and poor needs to be closed.

In health, life expectancy, addictions, housing, crime and job opportunities people from less well-off backgrounds generally fare less well than their more affluent fellow citizens.

Closing the attainment gap and improving the overall life chances for children in poorer homes is a job not only for John Swinney but every cabinet secretary and outside agencies as well.

It requires a huge effort across society.

IN the week the First Minister announced another gender balanced cabinet Muirfield Golf Club voted not to admit women members.

Quite rightly the course has been dropped from the British Open rota as a result of the decision and Nicola Sturgeon has branded it “indefensible”.

One explanation the club gave for this decision, “ladies are likely to question our lunch arrangements” was simply bizarre. The imagined scene of the clubhouse blazers dreaming up this excuse is straight out of a 1970s BBC sitcom.

Why any women would want to join this bunch is a puzzle as Muirfield’s all male members are obviously stuck in the dark ages.

Is seems that a penchant for swinging clubs around is not the only thing Muirfield golfers and cavemen have in common.

THE CalMac ferry contract decision was welcomed by everyone it seems, except rival bidder Serco.

The deal keeps the contract in the hands of a publicly owned company.

Now people will be asking; if it’s good enough for ferries why not trains too?