“Failed Tory austerity” is limiting young people’s potential, according to a Fife politician.
Taking the matter to the Scottish Parliament, Mid Scotland and Fife Labour MSP Alex Rowley has highlighted cuts to Fife’s education budget.
“These latest cuts are not acceptable at a time when teachers are already overworked and under resourced as well as the fact that children are finding it more difficult to get the person-centred support they need for their learning journey through education,” he said.
The politician drew on the comparison between private schools and state-run schools saying it cannot be right that the gap in resources was growing.
“In a private school the average teacher to pupil ratio is one teacher to eight children and yet in our local schools children are being taught in classes of one teacher to 30 children.
“This pressure on our schools must be addressed.”
The MSP claimed councillors are being “caught between a rock and a hard place” when it comes to budgets.
“The results of failed Tory austerity cuts are continuing to be passed down to local councils who have a legal requirement to balance the books.
“I am highlighting these latest cuts to Fife education because I believe we have got to stop the cuts and get more teachers and more teaching assistants in our classrooms if we are to give every child equality in education, supporting them to achieve their potential.”
Education should be a “gift” passed from one generation to the next, not a commodity, Mr Rowley insisted.
“Yet increasingly as the council cuts keep coming, the gap between private and public provision is growing which is doing nothing to address social inequality,” he added.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Fife Council will have an estimated £15.6 million (2.3%) more to spend next year than they had this year.
“Overall, in 2018-19, councils will receive funding through the local government finance settlement of £10.7 billion, delivering a real terms boost in both revenue and capital funding.
“Local government funding to schools is increasing.
“We want more decisions on school funding to be in the hands of schools and our education reforms are focussed on giving schools and head teachers more power and money to raise standards and close the attainment gap.”
