Savings in education - 'The McCrone deal was a generous one'

That is an activity she knows she will soon become well practised in, as the local authority looks to save more than 90 million.

The McCrone deal on teachers pay and conditions which she wants to see re-written was certainly a generous one, with good reason - teachers had been undervalued for many years.

Under its terms, teachers are guaranteed more than 12 hours a week to spend on administration, including marking and preparing lessons. Cllr Dawe and her Glasgow counterpart Gordon Matheson believe reducing that time by 30 minutes a day could be enough to avoid frontline education cuts.

Times have changed dramatically since McCrone was agreed in 2001, and what seemed generous then seems even more so now.

It is important that teachers are being asked to work extra hours in the classroom, not to work extra hours overall.

At a time when the Scottish Government faces slashing all its non-health budgets by 32 per cent, it does not seem unreasonable - and the pledge to protect NHS spending looks less deliverable every day too.

Save our sports

THE News and our readers completely understand the need to cut back on public sector costs in this time of austerity..

Our economy is in trouble and at a time when every family is making cutbacks the country and the city simply have to do the same.

This means tough choices about what we expect our politicians and civil servants to do - and what services we are willing to pay for.

Some things are obviously important, like schools, as discussed above, but also health and the fight against crime - and savings must be sought even in those areas.

But it would be short-sighted to think easier cuts can be made at sports facilities, just because they are not deemed "vital". They are.

The problem of obesity among our kids is well-recorded and it will send out the wrong message if golf clubs, gyms and swimming pools are axed.

It may take more work, but cleverer cuts are needed - starting by cutting the management bill.