Teacher fury over pothole repair funds

SCOTLAND’s largest teaching union has blasted council plans to invest a “spare” £2 million filling potholes rather than shoring up its slashed education budget.

Edinburgh members of the Educational Institute of Scotland have railed against using surplus cash for street improvements, which they say prioritises “cosmetic improvements” over children.

A shake-up of the management structure in Edinburgh’s 23 secondary schools will see 139 principal teachers demoted and 15 deputy head posts axed to save £2.4m over two years.

But education leader Councillor Marilyne MacLaren said it was “completely inaccurate” to associate the changes to the management structures with this investment funding.

She said: “The management changes were identified last February as one of the permanent savings required to address the projected deficit in the council’s budget.”