Council wrong again in its attempt to defend education cuts

- Figures don’t add up, again -

Renfrewshire SNP Council leader Derek Mackay, has once again tried and failed to defend budget “savings” in education. Following the revelation that incorrect figures of falling school rolls were used to justify the loss of 122 teachers last year, it now turns out that some of his other figures don’t add up.

The Council Leader has consistently claimed that:

“…education savings represent 1.8%, of budget spend, proportionately less than all other council departments…”

“Education has been protected with savings of 1.8%, proportionately less than all other council departments.”

Wendy said:
“On the Council’s own figures for budgeted spend this year, education is not the best protected in terms of the savings demanded by SNP Councillors. In actual fact, 5 other departments and 2 boards have had smaller proportionate savings imposed on them.  For example, Property and Construction services, Social Work services, Planning and Transport and Environment to name a few have all been better protected than education services.

And in absolute terms, education is bearing the brunt of the largest forced savings, now at £2.2m for 2009/10. This is in addition to the £6.4 million “savings” now taking effect as a result of last year’s budget. The combined effect of the last two budgets is to take £8.6m out of Renfrewshire education in 2009/10.  The consequence has been teacher cuts and Renfrewshire now having the worst pupil teacher ratios of all Scottish secondary schools.  Yet whilst education suffers other council budgets will not face the same pressures.

“Last time he got the figures wrong the official explanation dismissed it as a typing error whilst the Council Leader proceeded to backtrack on his original claim. What will the story be this time? There appears to be an intention to mislead the public over how significant these education cuts are –  but parents are unimpressed they know just how damaging the impact of these cuts will be.”