Council 'revenge' for parent protest

Published on Monday 8 March 2010 08:55

PARENTS are accusing the council of being "vindictive" by hiking up the hire charges for school halls – even when they are being used for fundraising events.

Parent councils have been informed that as of 1 April they will be entitled to just eight free hours per year for "social events" – which includes fundraisers – instead of 16 hours.

They will have to pay the council 26 per hour for each hall or room after that – a hike of 5.40 per hour – which will come directly out of the money which should be ploughed back into schools.

Some parents feel that they are being punished for mounting a campaign against council cuts to school budgets.

Frank Bergeret, co-chairman of the parent council at Bruntsfield Primary, said: "It seems like a contradiction. We are paying the council money that should be going into the school. It's a shame because lots of effort is put in by parents in their free time to do events to raise cash for equipment which, in theory, the council should be buying.

"We spent lots of money on buying white boards and books, but now a lot of our money will be going to the council instead.

"We are non-profitable organisations and everything we are doing is for the benefit of our schools so we shouldn't be penalised like this."

Another parent council chair said: "Parents understand that we can't have open-ended access but surely they should be flexible where an event is directly raising money for schools and waive the charges.

"There is a thought that this is revenge – the council is directly taking it out on parent bodies because they campaigned so strongly against budget cuts in schools. It does feel like the council are being vindictive."

Green councillor – and parent participant – Alison Johnstone will put a motion forward at next week's council meeting asking for officers to waive the charges for fundraising events in schools.

She said: "The parent bodies make such a massive financial and social contribution to education.

"They organise events that are really good fun and bring the school and the community together and at the same time raise thousands and thousands of pounds, which they are putting into everything from school strips to subsidising school camps and paying for smart boards in classrooms.

"I feel it's not exactly an incentive if we are charging parent bodies to use the halls when they are using them for the benefit of the community. It just seems wrong, which is why I'm asking council officers to waive the charges."

City education leader Marilyne MacLaren said: "Whilst we need to limit free access in these difficult financial times, we are very keen to be flexible with school fundraising events.

"We don't want to limit opportunity to raise funds, but the money raised obviously needs to be more than the cost of opening the schools up. In situations where the 'free' allocation has been used up we will, of course, take a common sense approach."