Council rejects bid to put more teachers into city schools

CALLS for council officials who have teaching qualifications to be sent back to the classroom to help reduce class sizes have been rejected.

The Evening News revealed earlier this month that a "Kids Not Suits" campaign had been set up by a parent at Roseburn Primary School who was upset about his child going into a primary-one class of 30 pupils, instead of the 23 he had expected.

The campaign called for staff at Waverley Court with teaching qualifications to become temporary teachers in order to help bring down class sizes.

It won the support of the Labour and Conservative groups on the city council, which combined to lodge a motion for this week's full council meeting calling for a report on whether any refresher training would be required if all "non-school based" employees with teaching qualifications were redeployed.

The move was opposed by education leader Councillor Marilyne MacLaren and her Lib Dem/SNP administration and was defeated 29-28.

Kids not Suits campaigner Pete Gregson said: "Here was a chance for the elected leaders of the council to challenge the unelected officers who run the show. Rather than look below the surface and realise that parts of senior management are not economy-minded, the coalition thinks it should rather protect its reputation."