Andrew Macmillan: Cut ideas of slashing city schools' funding

Published on Tuesday 20 January 2009 08:49

THERE is no such thing as a smooth budget process. The annual budget is the policy programme of any administration translated into numbers. So it is always fiercely contested.

This year's budget in Edinburgh is particularly difficult. In November, school Parent Councils (PCs) first heard about further proposed cuts to individual school budgets next year. As schools are already suffering tough 1.5 per cent cuts to their budgets this year, alarm bells rang immediately.

By early December, Edinburgh PCs Network, representing dozens of PCs, spelt out to councillors and all MSPs in Edinburgh in a detailed document exactly what a 1.5 per cent cut already means to schools and the damage another two per cent would cause – loss of staff cover, huge reductions in supplies and repair work, among many problems. 50 PCs at a budget meeting in the City Chambers unanimously opposed any cuts which would directly impact on schools and children.

Are parents wrong in this? HMIE, the schools' independent regulator, this week issued a critical report on late primary and secondary education, described by the Cabinet Secretary for Education as "a wake-up call to every local authority, director of education, headteacher and school teacher".

Politicians' responses to PCs show concern among all five parties at potential cuts to school budgets. Senior SNP and Lib Dem politicians appear not to want to hit frontline education services again.

So there are political choices to be made. The council showed PCs that it is financially feasible to find the savings needed in education without taking a penny from the budgets devolved to individual schools. The question is whether alternative means of saving money will impact on schools in other ways.

So, it is time for hard choices but PCs are certain of one positive thing – our schools are real assets, supported by parents who will champion their cause.

Andrew Macmillan is chairman of the Trinity Primary School Parent Council chairman