Parents and pupils protest over school budget cuts

Published on Tuesday 9 February 2010 23:33

HUNDREDS of parents and pupils have staged a mass rally against swingeing education cutbacks in Scotland's capital.

Councillors were confronted yesterday by protesters blowing whistles and banging drums at the "carnival" demonstration outside the City Chambers on the Royal Mile.

The ruling Lib Dem-SNP administration in the city is expected to vote to slash 1 per cent from all school budgets tomorrow. The council has warned it has to make cuts across the board as part of a 90 million savings drive over the next three years.

Parents warned that the council's proposals would see individual schools forced to save up to 40,000 over the next year.

Norma Devlin, who is on the parent council at St Thomas of Aquin's High, said: "We have simply not been listened to at all.

"Our views have been disregarded.

Councils across the country aren't considering these kind of cuts for schools. Why is it happening here?"

Jeanna Brady, chairwoman of Bruntsfield Primary Parent Council, said: "We think frontline services like education should be protected from across the board cuts like this."

Marilyne Maclaren, the city's education leader, said: "I have been working to reduce the impact of this difficult financial situation on our schools since we received proposals in November.

"I am pleased that this year we have been able to bring savings down to just 1 per cent, which is far less than in other areas of the council."