Nicola Sturgeon was grilled at First Minister’s Questions for the 286th and final time today, and afterwards made a valedictory speech. So what did she say about education, which she staked her reputation on when she became Scotland’s first minister in November 2014?

While education was not the main focus of rival party leaders in parliament today, Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr questioned the outgoing first minister on her government’s “defining mission” to tackle the poverty-related attainment gap.

Mr Kerr said: “The best that we can say is that the first minister tried and failed - because education in Scotland is [now] poorer,” and asked: “Can the first minister honestly stand there and say, hand on heart, that education was her top priority?”

Ms Sturgeon replied: “Yes, I can.”

• Also this week: Where next for Scottish education?
• Analysis: The long view of Sturgeon’s education record
• Related: What did Sturgeon say about education in her resignation speech?
• Editor’s view: Sturgeon’s big education promise defined her leadership

Ms Sturgeon and Mr Kerr both summarised the Scottish government’s education record during her time as first minister, with, unsurprisingly, different results.

Mr Kerr said: “Here is the first minister’s record: fewer maths teachers, fewer technical education teachers, fewer computing science teachers, fewer language teachers, narrowing subject choice, and Scotland plummeting down the international league tables.

“On [Curriculum for Excellence] levels in primary schools, her record is: literacy falling, reading falling, writing falling, numeracy falling;,the attainment gap widening and attainment falling overall.”

Today at 12 noon, I will do my 286th - and final - session of First Minister’s Questions. Immediately afterwards I will make my last speech in @ScotParl chamber as First Minister. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way ❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) March 23, 2023

Ms Sturgeon, in her response to Mr Kerr, said: “When I became first minister, the number of school teachers in Scotland was 49,521. Today, the number of school teachers in Scotland is 53,459, which is an 8 per cent increase.

“In early learning and childcare settings the numbers have increased as well. In Scotland we have the most teachers per pupil in the United Kingdom, and education spend per person is higher than in either England or Wales. In Scotland we have 7,573 teachers per 100,000 pupils; in England, where the Tories are in power, the number is just 5,734. In Scotland we spend £7,600 per pupil; the Tories in England spend just £6,700.”

She added: “Yes, I am proud of this government’s record on education, and I really look forward to seeing it being built upon.”

Sturgeon defends her record on schools

Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross, in his last opportunity at First Minister’s Questions to quiz Ms Sturgeon, focused largely on the recent controversy over the number of SNP party members.

But he also said: “On Nicola Sturgeon’s watch, Scotland’s schools have plummeted down international league tables. She has made no progress on reducing the attainment gap - she has broken her promise to close it completely.”

Similarly, Labour leader Anas Sarwar made a passing reference to the “entrenched attainment gap”.

Ms Sturgeon said: “This government’s commitment is to substantially eliminate the poverty-related attainment gap in this parliamentary session, and good progress is being made on that.

“The latest achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels data demonstrated the biggest single-year decrease in the poverty-related gap in primary numeracy and literacy levels since records began.

“We are improving outcomes for young people impacted by poverty beyond school, too. The percentage of 2021-22 school leavers in a positive initial destination is the highest on record, and the poverty-related attainment gap is at a record low, down two-thirds since 2009-10. More young people than ever from deprived communities secured a place at university, and the previous commissioner for widening access described our approach as an ‘unambiguous success’.”

She added: “That is a record that I am proud of, and I very much look forward to seeing my successor build on it.”

After First Minister’s Questions, Ms Sturgeon made a valedictory speech in which, instead of looking at policy, she focused more on thanking all those who had supported her since she became first minister. However, she started her statement by reflecting on the impact of the Covid pandemic on Scotland, three years to the day since mass closures of school and nursery buildings began.