Scottish Borders Local Association

School protesters brave elements to deliver chilling demands over education cuts

Published Date: 27 November 2008

By Andrew Keddie

"PEOPLE have been asking us why we are not demanding more money for our roads rather than our schools," said Alex McHugh as she and around 20 placard-bearing protesters huddled outside the Newtown headquarters of Scottish Borders Council.

"I've been telling them, okay, you may damage the suspension of your car if you go over a pothole, but that is not nearly so important as the effect on our children's education of further budget cuts," explained Mrs McHugh. "It's really a no-brainer.".

The 48-year-old mother of two from Hawick is a member of PACE (Parents Against Cuts in Education), a new action group which staged a demonstration in freezing weather conditions before Thursday's full council meeting.

Two of its number – Dawn Nairn, secretary of Hawick High parent-council and Patricia Touw, chair of Glendinning Primary parent-council from Galashiels – later handed over a petition, containing more than 2,000 signatures, to SBC convener Alasdair Hutton and executive member for education Catriona Bhatia.

The petition "requested that SBC does not sanction any further cuts which will have a detrimental effect on the quality of education provided in the Scottish Borders".

"We want councillors to know that whatever other pressures they are under, they owe no higher duty to the children of the Borders and to the preservation of their education," said PACE chairman Rory Bannerman, who handed out leaflets, headed Education is Priceless, to councillors as they entered the building.

The leaflet stated that Borderers would not tolerate any measure imposing a reduction in spending available to "our hard-pressed schools" and went on: "Anything other than an inflation level increase in the education budget will be a cut that will haunt you as councillors in the same way it will haunt our children."

The protest had originally been planned to coincide with an SBC meeting at which the controversial Transforming Children's Services (TCS) review, with its recommendations to slash headships and more than 100 principal teaching posts, was due to be debated.

It went ahead despite the postponement of that debate until December 18, although Councillor Bhatia has already warned that if savings through TCS are not achieved, it could impact on devolved school management (DSM) budgets next year.

"Regardless of TCS, which has much to commend it, we saw no reason to defer our protest as we know councillors are now considering the budget for 2009/10 which will be finalised in February," said Mr Bannerman.

“This year’s 2 per cent efficiency savings on DSMs had a devastating impact on our schools and cannot be allowed to happen again.”

The contents of the TCS document are currently being amended by senior education officials after nearly 300 responses, mainly from parents and teachers, were received over a four-month consultation period.

But that did not deter Councillor Sandy Aitchison (Borders Party) moving that implementation, planned for May next year, be delayed until at least the start of the new session at the end of the summer.

He also called for its two main authors – head of schools Brian Keenan and communcations and policy manager Leona Bendall – to be retained as SBC employees until the new system was in place and shown to be working effectively. Both have already been offered severance packages and are due to go early next year.

But Mr Aitchison’s motion was defeated by 22 votes to eight.

“TCS has been described as ‘broad ideas and principles’… I am simply asking for three months’ grace for these to be converted into detailed plans for individual schools,” said Mr Aitchison.

“I spoke to a head teacher last night who is concerned and worried about how it will affect her school. If it is so wonderful, why is the message not getting through to those we charge to educate our children?”

He won backing from the SNP opposition group with Councillor Kenneth Gunn summing up its position: “If we rush this and get it wrong, the electorate will never forgive us.”

But Mrs Bhatia described the motion as “disappointing and premature” and its supporters as “the head-in-the-sand brigade”.

“We all know that standing still and doing nothing to improve education and make it financially sustainable is not an option,” said Mrs Bhatia.

“This motion is based on assumptions and conjecture, and all councillors will have the chance to debate the revised proposals on December 18.

“There is a misunderstanding we will implement the entire document, with all its various strands, at once. A full report on the implementation timetable will be presented after the report has been agreed.

“As for retaining officers, it is for the director of education [Glenn Rodger] to decide what skills are required to implement it.

“I move no action. If councillors have concerns, they can bring them up on December 18.”

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