Relentless Education Cuts across Edinburgh

That the Parliament supports parents, teachers and pupils across Edinburgh in their opposition to further school budget cuts to be implemented by the City of Edinburgh Council; considers the strain that last year’s 1.5% cut placed on school resources and staff; is strongly opposed to a further 2.5% cut year-on-year for the next three years; sees this as a complete failure by the SNP/Liberal Democrat administration to manage its budget and is dismayed that it is allowing children’s education to suffer as a direct result of this; views that the cumulative effect of this will mean a cut of 9% in 2012-13; considers that head teachers are already struggling to meet basic school running costs such as heating and toilet repairs; is aware of the strength of feeling among communities and teachers, many of whom could lose their jobs in order to balance budgets; further considers that teacher unemployment is at an all-time high in Scotland while class sizes have reached 32 in some schools; believes that further cuts will only compound the problem and further adversely affect the standard and quality of children’s education; believes that the Scottish Government’s lack of intervention and action on this issue shows that its priorities are totally wrong, particularly when it invests so much time and money in making a case for separation from the rest of the United Kingdom instead of investing in Scotland’s children’s education; thinks that this, combined with its failure to build or refurbish one single school since May 2007, shows a total lack of commitment to improving education, and demands that the SNP/Liberal Democrat administration and the Scottish Government come together and resolve the funding crisis that is believed to be destroying education across the city.