SNP ABANDON CLASS SIZE PLEDGE

Wendy Alexander MSP says the SNP’s credibility on education has been shattered after breaking a manifesto promise to parents, pupils and teachers on class sizes of 18 or less in primaries 1 to 3.

The SNP will now legislate for class sizes of 25 in Primary 1 only, despite the fact that First Minister Alex Salmond told the Scottish Parliament that the manifesto pledge would be met before 2011.

Wendy  said:

“This is a huge policy u-turn by the SNP. They promised parents, pupils and teachers that they would deliver class sizes of 18 or less, but this has been well and truly broken.

“The First Minister even told MSPs that this pledge would be delivered in the lifetime of this parliament, but it is now clear that is not going to happen. Our schools deserve better.

“The SNP’s credibility on education has been shattered. They said they would provide children with two hours of PE and maintain teacher numbers and match Labour’s school building brick for brick, but they haven’t.

“The SNP say one thing but deliver something else entirely.”