The Liberal Democrats have raised the stakes in the debate on early years education in the run up to the Scottish parliamentary elections by calling for a full-time 'transition' year at age five so that children will not start formal schooling until they are six .
In its manifesto for the May elections, the party said its proposal, which had drawn on experiences in other countries, was aimed at improving attainment in the early phases of primary education and smoothing the transition between nursery and primary school.
It states, 'This full-time teacher-led year will equip children from all backgrounds with the skills they need to make a success of education and allow early intervention from a wide range of professionals for children who need extra help.'
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