SNP school plan sparks class war

Published on Sunday 9 September 2007 00:40

NATIONALIST plans for an education revolution in Scotland have been derailed after the country's biggest councils rejected new targets for primary class sizes.

Glasgow and Edinburgh education chiefs have told Scotland on Sunday they cannot implement an SNP pledge to slash classes in the early years of primary school to 18 pupils because they will cost too much, they do not have space for new classrooms and the plans will do little to boost standards.

The rejection is a huge blow to the SNP as the move is a major plank of the party's plans to improve the quality of education over the next four years.

Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop unveiled the pledge during the election campaign, arguing it would allow teachers to focus far more attention on pupils in the crucial early stages of schooling. But details of how she will fund the plan, estimated to cost around 200m over four years, have still to be set out.

Last night, a war of words erupted with Labour-controlled Glasgow City Council, Scotland's biggest, where the Labour leader declared the plan would not be implemented unless it was forced by law.

Scotland on Sunday has obtained a confidential briefing paper written by the council's education director, Margaret Doran, which reveals Glasgow would have to build an extra 186 classrooms and hire 397 more teachers to meet the SNP pledge. The document also reveals that set-up costs for Glasgow alone would total 47m - more than ministers have so far allocated the whole country.

Stephen Purcell, Labour leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "We would have to build extensions to schools that don't have the capacity for that, so there could be an impact on other facilities such as the gym. There is no way, without a huge injection of capital, that we can deliver this within the four-year term."

Asked whether he would agree to follow the SNP's pledge, he said: "Not without legislation. This education authority does not believe that reducing class sizes significantly is going to have any impact on increasing literacy and numeracy."

In Edinburgh, Marilyne MacLaren, the education leader on the SNP/Lib Dem council, said: "Parents believe this is going to be separate classes of 18 children, and that is not deliverable. What will happen is that there will be large classes of two teachers. We have a few schools in Edinburgh where you have a class of 40 with two teachers. What will happen perhaps is that that will be cut to around 30 because most schools don't have the capacity to cope."

In Dundee, the council's education committee convener Laurie Bidwell said he was also sceptical. "We would prefer to have the freedom to improve attainment in the ways that we think are most effective."

And in Perth and Kinross, education chiefs have also expressed concern that classrooms currently being used for art, music and drama may have to be sacrificed in order to meet the pledge.

Last night, Cosla, which represents all of Scotland's 32 local authorities, also admitted for the first time that it was concerned about the plan.

A spokesman said: "Local government does have some real concerns with the class size target.

"The pace, arrangements and the practicalities of implementation as well as the cost implications have to be discussed with us. The class size target has also to be seen in the context of a general outcome of driving up educational standards. It's a fact that we all want our children to do as well as they possibly can at school but we are not sure that in all instances reducing class sizes drives up attainment, and we need to make sure that there is room for other measures where appropriate."

If the pledge is not met it would be a severe embarrassment to the SNP, which insists it can deliver on the plan. Last week in Parliament, Finance Secretary John Swinney said talks were continuing with councils on the matter as part of negotiations over the levels of funding they will receive over coming years.

Wendy Alexander, Scottish Labour's leader-in-waiting, said: "They are running into hot water. This was the week that their pledges started to unravel. Another piece of election spin has been exposed."

However, a spokesman for the Scottish Government said: "We recognise that this is a challenging target but we remain committed to it. We have already given local authorities some 40m to help them make the infrastructure changes they will need. We want to work with councils on delivering this pledge"

And a source close to Alex Salmond added: "All the research illustrates the fact that smaller class sizes is the key to lifelong achievement and we will continue to progress this policy in the interests of Scottish children."