NO EXCUSE FOR SCHOOL FAILURE AS SNP COUNCIL LEADS THE WAY

NO EXCUSE FOR SCHOOL FAILURE AS SNP COUNCIL LEADS THE WAY

LABOUR LET DOWN SCOTLAND’S CHILDREN

SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson today said there was no excuse for councils to fail to cut class sizes or to keep teacher numbers up as figures released today showed SNP East Ayrshire Council had delivered a massive improvement in the number of children in P1-3 classes of 18 or less as SNP research on newly published figures showed Labour councils account for 66% of the fall in teacher numbers across Scotland with Glasgow accounting for 28% of the fall.

Where SNP East Ayrshire Council increased teacher numbers other councils across Scotland led by Labour in Glasgow, who cut teacher numbers by 380 - a quarter of the total fall in numbers, failed to live up to the expectations of Scotland’s parents, teachers and children.

In East Ayrshire 12 new teachers were employed, the number of P1-3 pupils in class sizes of 18 or less increased from 7.8% to 41.5% and average class sizes for P1 of less than 18.

In contrast in Glasgow Labour cut teacher numbers by 380 in 12 months, the number of P1-3 pupils in class sizes of 18 or less fell from 9.3% to 7.1% as class sizes increased.

Kenneth Gibson, Deputy Convener of the Parliament’s Education Committee and MSP for Cunninghame North said:

“While Labour councils are letting down Scotland’s children SNP East Ayrshire council has demonstrated that these targets are achievable.

“It is for those administrations that have failed to keep teacher numbers stable and failed to cut class sizes to explain what has happened to the money they received to support our schools.

“It is an absolute disgrace that Labour council’s account for two thirds of the fall in teacher numbers. That is an astonishing figure.

“All councils must take responsibility for their own actions but the widespread fall in teacher numbers in Labour councils and the deliberate refusal of Glasgow to cut class sizes or to replace teachers exposes Labour’s decision to put politics before education.

“When East Ayrshire has delivered real progress this year there can be no excuses from Glasgow or anywhere else for this failure to deliver on a promise council’s made and that the Government has funded.”