An expert panel set up by Nicola Sturgeon to improve Scotland's education system will meet for the first time on Wednesday.

The Scottish Government has recruited specialists from across the globe to be part of its new International Council of Education Advisers.

Both First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who set up the group after May's Scottish Parliament elections, and deputy first minister John Swinney will be present for the discussions.

The panel includes members from the US, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Malaysia, Australia and the UK.

Speaking in advance of the meeting, Sturgeon stressed the importance of closing the attainment gap between rich and poor pupils in Scotland's schools.

The First Minister said: "Education is the top priority for this government and I want to ensure that Scotland is a global leader.

"A huge amount of work has been done already to drive up attainment and improve the life chances of every pupil across Scotland, but we know there is more to do.

"That is why the work being taken forward by this independent body of international experts is so important.

"I want them to challenge and scrutinise our plans for reform to ensure they are as robust as possible as we look to ensure Scotland's education system promotes excellence for generations to come."

The meeting comes ahead of plans by high school teachers to hold a ballot on industrial action over teacher workloads - despite John Swinney's efforts to offer teachers clearer guidance on the new curriculum.

General secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA), Seamus Searson, said on Tuesday: "The SSTA view is that teacher workload has not been and is unlikely to be significantly reduced in the current session, especially in the area of national qualifications, and therefore a formal ballot is necessary to protect its members."

STV News revealed earlier this month that the guidance from Swinney, who is education secretary as well as deputy first minister, had not been delivered as promised to the country's 48,000 teachers.

Despite missing the start-of-term deadline he had set himself, Swinney said the guidance would be published on Monday.

He promised in June to "put in place clear and simple statements that give teachers confidence about what curriculum for excellence does and does not expect of them", adding the guidance would be available "in time for the new school session in August".

Commenting on the new publication date, a Scottish Government spokesman said: "We are determined that this guidance will provide an emphatic statement of priorities for Scotland's schools that addresses all of the relevant issues and provides the clarity that teachers need.

"To ensure that it is delivered we are consulting widely across the teaching profession."