Heads rebel over school cuts

Their stance comes as parents' groups across the city joined forces to fight the cuts, which they fear will hit children's schooling.

Education bosses want to cut school budgets by 2.5 per cent next year and for the next two years – but heads are refusing to support the money-saving proposals. It is feared headteachers will be forced into making staffing cuts, with salaries accounting for around 80 per cent of their budgets.

In a response to education chiefs on the budget proposals – leaked to the Evening News – Jim McColgan, chair of the Edinburgh Primary Schools' Headteachers' Association, warned they could not "endorse any further reductions in individual schools' budgets".

Mr McColgan, who is head of Echline Primary, said: "The association believes that front line services in schools must be protected at all costs. If the indicative reductions are to be applied directly to individual schools' budgets, this will not be possible without a related reduction in the service offered to children.

"The department of children and families has identified the need to improve educational outcomes for the lowest attaining 20 per cent of pupils as a priority.

"Achieving this has proved especially difficult in recent years and it is unlikely to be achievable in the future with the reductions in schools' budgets that are proposed."

Parents step up schools fight

PARENTS across the city have joined forces to fight proposals to slash school budgets, warning it will lead to staffing cuts and have a "dangerous" impact on education.

The Edinburgh Parent Council Network (EPCN) says there is no room left for headteachers to make savings, and they will not be able to cope with the 2.5 per cent cuts the council is proposing.

This would mean a loss of about 100,000 for a secondary school and about 25,000 for a primary, and comes on top of 1.5 per cent savings previously enforced.

Parent council chairs hope that by joining together, they can force the council to rethink its proposals on cutting school budgets.

A campaign group on Facebook has already attracted about 250 members, while an online petition has attracted about 340 signatures, including local politicians.

Last year, a smaller campaign to oppose cuts of two per cent was successful, while in 2007, the council was forced to abandon plans to close 22 schools following a massive public outcry.

Tracy Rendall, chairwoman of Craigentinny Primary's parent council, was part of the campaign to save the school in 2007.

She said: "No-one who is involved in schooling is in agreement with the cuts, so we are encouraging as many of these people as possible to communicate this to their councillors and MSPs.

"In many ways it's harder with cuts because it's not as high profile as closures, and it's harder to get people to recognise just how dangerous they are.

"There's no room left to make the cuts other than staffing."

Parent councils are also lobbying MSPs and councillors to oppose the cuts, as well as planning their own local campaigns.

Gavin Corbett, chairman of Craiglockhart Primary's parent council, said: "No-one has explained to parents why cuts of this scale are needed, far less justified. The Scottish Government and councils need to stop passing the buck of blame and tell parents the plain facts.

"We are also looking at a major change in the shape of 'A Curriculum for Excellence' in the next two to three years. Parents support that change but, in any sensible organisation, there would be major investment in the process.

"It beggars belief that budgets are being slashed instead."

Jill Franklin, chairwoman of Flora Stevenson's Primary, set up the online petitions. She added: "

We want to influence the decision and show the public are strongly against the cuts."

• www.ipetitions.com/petition/Edinburgh-school-budgets/index.html

• www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=223550940648#/group.php?v=info&gid=223550940648