Education chiefs have gagged us, say parents

Parent councils across the city have joined forces to campaign against the 2.5 per cent cuts the council wants to impose on individual school budgets, but it has emerged that several have been stopped from using school facilities to promote their campaign as headteachers are "bound by council protocol" and cannot allow material criticising the council to be distributed within schools.

This includes allowing the information to be posted on school websites or distributed via pupil mail, where children are given letters at school to take home to their parents.

Parent councils have been using these methods for years, and even pay the cost of photocopying letters. They are furious that their campaign against budget cuts – which they say will severely impact on children's education in Edinburgh through loss of vital resources and learning support staff – is being "thwarted" by council bosses.

Boroughmuir High is just one which has banned this information being distributed through the school.

Jerry Forde, chair of its parent council, said: "We put together a letter that explains about the proposed cuts and which asks parents to communicate their feelings on this via the petition that the Edinburgh Parent Council Network has set up so that we can demonstrate the numbers of people who are against the cuts.

"Headteachers have been informed by their employers that we are not allowed to use council infrastructure to do anything that might be seen to be against council policy, so we now have no way of sending out letters as we have always done it through pupil post and have not built up our own direct database.

"Parent councils were set up as a result of the Parental Involvement Act and we are being gagged by the city council. When our clerk contacted the school about the letter, she was told it wouldn't be getting printed, and it wouldn't be going in pupil post or on the website.

"It feels like the council is working very hard to thwart us and not give us the chance to say how we feel."

Gavin Corbett, chair of Craiglockhart primary's parent council, said: "Our school parent council, back in December last year, paid for a flyer to go to all parents in what is called pupil mail which told parents about the cuts and how they could help persuade the council that this isn't the right thing to do.

"Given that the (Parental Involvement] Act requires parent council to communicate with and take responsibility for all parents in the school, it seems remarkable that schools have been told that they can't communicate on what is one of the most urgent issues."

A council spokeswoman said: "We are not banning parents from distributing their campaign material, but it's not appropriate to use council resources to do so."

EXTRACTS FROM THE BANNED LETTER

Proposed Long Term Budget Cuts Summary:

2.5% cuts to school budgets in 2010-11. This is on top of 1.5% cuts in the current year, amounting to 4% in total.

Senior staff having to spend more time in classrooms to the detriment of the management of our school. Many staff are working unsustainable hours.

Learning assistant hours cut.

Materials budgets slashed.

Building maintenance reduced.

Schools asked to shoulder additional costs without being given additional budget.

Parents fear for the success of major developments – most obviously the new curriculum.

In 2011-12 and 2012-13, cuts of 6.5% and 9% (360,000 for our school) respectively are being trailed by the council.

Parents point out the need for additional investment in education budgets – not simply to enhance the experience of children and young people, but also to reap savings in future years – for example, by having more energy-efficient schools.

School closures are being mooted as one way of dealing with budget cuts – this will in no-way prevent the budget cuts.

Decision-makers need to take account of current difficulties before adding greater financial pressure.