THE Holyrood election campaign will dramatically move up a gear tomorrow, as the parties enter the final 100-day stretch with education at the top of their agenda.

SNP ministers are due to visit schools across the country to announce new investment as part of the government’s effort to defend its much-criticised record on school performance.

The government will also publish figures to support its claim it is outperforming Westminster in support for business and growing the economy, despite Tory austerity cuts.

With the SNP on course to win a second majority, campaign manager John Swinney stressed the party, although enjoying strong opinion polls, was taking nothing for granted.

He said the most “transformational investment” in the next parliament would be in education, from a doubling of free childcare hours to support for universities and their students.

The deputy SNP leader also launched a swingeing attack on his main opponents.

“The Labour Party is yet to start behaving like a serious political party ahead of this election and our challenge to them is this: stop the political games and let’s see sensible, costed plans. Until then, nobody will take them seriously as a party of opposition, never mind a potential party of government.”

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, who will address the UK shadow cabinet on Tuesday, also prioritised education, promising a new Fair Start Fund giving primary schools an extra £1000 for every pupil from a deprived background.

Paid for by restoring the top rate of income tax to 50p for those earning over £150,000, the money would be used by headteachers as they saw fit to help address the attainment gap between rich and poor.

Dugdale said: “In just over 100 days voters face a big choice. We can either use the powers Scotland has to give everybody the best chance in life, or carry on cutting budgets for schools. Scottish Labour has already set out bold plans to invest in education and to help young people buy their first home. In the coming weeks and months we will set out more radical ideas to transform the life chances of every young person in this country.”

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said Labour was an ineffective “rabble” and only her party could form a credible opposition to the SNP at Holyrood.

“Labour has given the SNP a free pass to do what it likes for the last eight years. If you want someone to vote for who will say no to the SNP's plans for a second referendum, and ensure the government focuses on the day job, then my team can do a job for you.”

LibDem leader Willie Rennie also put education at the centre of his party’s campaign.

He said the LibDems would bring the “pupil premium" scheme to Scotland, with schools given extra funding to help pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

He also wanted to expand nursery education, invest in colleges and halt council cuts.

Patrick Harvie MSP, Co-convener of the Scottish Greens, said more Green MSPs were needed to make land reform and other laws more radical than the SNP’s cautious efforts.

“As we approach the 100 days to go mark, our top team of candidates, activists and new staff members across Scotland are relishing the opportunity to convert strong polling numbers into Green MSPs to represent all of our communities.

“In the few remaining weeks of this session of Parliament, Alison Johnstone, John Finnie, John Wilson and I will continue to push the Scottish Government beyond its comfort zone.”

The new left-wing, pro-independence party RISE said it was planning to target the 200,000 voters who backed Yes in the referendum, but didn’t vote SNP in the general election.

A spokesperson said: “We want to ensure that the political and democratic awakening that took place during the referendum reawakens in this election campaign.”