Now SNP Government Condemn Renfrewshire Education Cuts

- SNP Government condemn cut of 20 nursery teachers in Renfrewshire. Time for another u-turn? -

The SNP Government has warned Scottish Local Authorities not to reduce the number of qualified teachers working in nursery education. In Renfrewshire Council, they are cutting the number of nursery teachers in half.

In August 2008 there were 39 (FTE) nursery teachers employed by Renfrewshire to work with under 5s. This August there will be just 18.

Wendy said:

“I and my Labour colleagues have said all along halving nursery teacher numbers in one year is a scandalous step backwards. Now the Scottish Government agree. Surely it is time for another u-turn by an SNP administration in Renfrewshire whose own government opposes these cuts.

In just 4 weeks all 6 nursery schools will be downgraded – removing the nursery teachers and dedicated head teachers. All of the qualified head teachers and their teaching staff will be amalgamated into a ‘pool’ or forced out of pre-5 teaching.

The head teacher posts have been ‘deleted’ (in the Council’s terminology) and the classroom teacher obliged to choose redeployment, which may not be to nursery teaching, or resignation.

From August that new pool will have only 18.2 pre-5 teachers – compared with 39.2 teachers and head teachers that were in place serving under- 5s in Renfrewshire this session.

It is time for the Council to tell us, what will happen to the 6 nursery head teachers who will be out of a job in 4 weeks time?”