Labour council leaders across Scotland have warned that the SNP Government's budget cuts could have "potentially devastating consequences" for schools and nurseries.

Finance Secretary John Swinney his decision last month to cut council revenues by 3.5% for 2016/17, a move that was branded "totally unacceptable" by local government body Cosla.

Scottish Labour have raised their concern that the budget will also see funding for Education and Lifelong Learning cut by 4.4%, which translates as more than £130m.

On Sunday Kezia Dugdale pledged to protect education funding in real terms over the next five years and will flesh out her plans further during the week.

Included in the framework for protecting funding is the introduction of a Fair Start Fund, which would invest £1,000 for each deprived pupil in primary schools across Scotland.

Money allocated for each pupil would be sent directly to head teachers, whose discretion would determine how the money would be spent.

The stated aim of the fund, however, is to tackle the attainment gap between rich and poor in Scotland.

It is expected that the Fair Start Fund would be paid for by increasing the top rate of tax to 50p for those earning more than £150,000 a year.

Alex Rowley, Scottish Labour deputy leader, believes the budget as it stands will only serve to widen the inequality gap in education:

“Local councils are responsible for so many services that are vital to securing the best future for our young people, including schools and nurseries. The SNP’s budget cuts will put these services at risk and it is Scotland’s children who will suffer.

“The most important economic policy we can have is investment in education. We need to close the gap between the richest and the rest in our schools, so that our young people have the skills to compete for the jobs of the future.

"For our economy to thrive we need a highly-skilled, well educated workforce. The SNP Government’s cuts will widen the gap that already exists and hold so many young people back.

“The choice facing voters in this election is clear – using the new powers we have to invest in the future with Labour, or carrying on with cuts to school budgets and nurseries with the SNP and the Tories.”

A letter released and co-signed by 14 Labour council leaders in Scotland read: "We believe the SNP Government’s proposed hundreds of millions of pounds worth of further cuts to local authority funding in this year’s budget will pull the rug out from under Scotland’s young people.

"Scottish Labour led councils will do everything we possibly can to mitigate these cuts, but the reality is that SNP Government budget decisions will have potentially devastating consequences for education in Scotland.

"We call on John Swinney to think again and back Scottish Labour’s plan to properly fund education services over the next five years so we can give our children and young people the best start in life.”