THE Scottish Government unit responsible for vital educational research has seen its resources slashed in recent years, new figures show.

Education Analytical Services (EAS) has had its funding cut by 40 per cent over seven years.

In 2008/09, the EAS budget was £4.4 million which increased to a peak of £4.5m in 2010/11 but has now fallen to £2.7m.

Earlier this year, the government published its education research strategy, designed to create a “more robust evidence base upon which to make decisions”.

The strategy was a response to a 2015 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report which criticised the lack of “large-scale research or evaluation projects” here.

Labour education spokesman Iain Gray accused the government of being “all talk” when it comes to education.

He said: “If education really was the SNP’s priority, and if it really was interested in what works, then it would be increasing educational research not cutting it almost in half.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said ministers were committed to drawing on “a range of evidence” to inform policy decisions.

She said: “In line with the OECD’s recommendation, we are taking further action to better understand what is working in our schools and what isn’t including the new research strategy for education we launched in April.”

The government said the EAS budget did not represent the full range of its investment in research.

The decline in research funding was first revealed in the Times Educational Supplement Scotland.