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Council defies SNP policy on class sizes



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Published Date: 04 May 2008
By Murdo MacLeod
ALEX Salmond's pledge to cut school class sizes has been dealt a blow by the spending crisis at Aberdeen City Council.
Education chiefs at the cash-strapped authority have told managers to operate classes at their maximum size in order to save cash. The council is also drawing up plans to cut schooling to four and a half days a week instead of five.

City leaders have been at the centre of controversy over spending plans that will result in them cutting £27m from budgets. Spending watchdog the Accounts Commission plans to conduct a public hearing into the city's affairs later this month.

A series of guidelines, obtained by Scotland on Sunday, has been passed to education managers detailing plans for saving money in the city's schools. Proposals include operating "to maximum class size".

Labour's education spokeswoman Rhona Brankin said: "This is outrageous behaviour by Aberdeen Council and it bodes badly for Fiona Hyslop.

"The Education Secretary's reduction in class sizes policy is in tatters, as her own councillors tell schools to bump up the numbers as far as they'll go."





The full article contains 188 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 03 May 2008 7:01 PM
  • Source: Scotland On Sunday
  • Location: Scotland
  • Related Topics: Scottish National Party
 
1

Senga Jean,

04/05/2008 00:36:10
Labour's Rhona Brankin is stirring the pot nicely. Labour of course are blameless in Aberdeen. Aye right!
2

Edward,

04/05/2008 00:44:52
To borrow a Sun cliche 'Its Labour wot caused it'
3

subrosa,

04/05/2008 00:45:35
Let Rhona Brankin have her moment of glory. You'll not hear a dickie bird from her once the Accounts Commission report is published.
4

A Better Way,

Edinburgh 04/05/2008 02:42:51
You'll not hear a dickie bird from her once we have an election.

The other question that needs to be asked is MAXIMUM the new limits as laid down in the concordat with COSLA. Lets not forget New London Slavours history of twisting the truth. Of course the other thing is it was New Slavour and the Fibdems who put Aberdeen in the poor state it is in. The Scottish Government should bring out strict laws on Councils going over budgets. There should be a law covering the JOBS for the Boys culture as well. No Local Government Manager should be a member of any political party and yes that includes the SNP.

The bottom line with Aberdeen, is that the Scottish Government will help them out, and thats fair enough. I just hope that the Financial Reports results in prosecution of the Liberals and the Slavour Party members who couldnt organise a P up in a Brewery.

5

,

04/05/2008 10:20:00
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
6

roughrider,

Glasgow 04/05/2008 10:23:24
Ranting Rhona Brankin should be apologising to the people of Aberdeen for the mess the liebour sleaze and corruption party have left.
Bankin is just another howling labour banshee and anything she utters should not be taken seriously.
7

BIG EYE,

Paisley 04/05/2008 10:30:29
You have to admire the tactics of the Labour Party.

Since the SNP became part of the adminstration in Aberdeen they have contrived to build up a campaign about the cuts that the Council have had to introduce.

They seem to have forgotten or are prepared to ignore that the Accounts Commission are soon to publish their report about how the massive debts the new Council inherited came about.

In this you can be assured the SNP will be blameless as they did not hold power in Aberdeen but the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats will be firmly behind the eight ball.

Now in Labour neverneverland deficits are probably not understood but the electorate knows all about them and how to allocate blame and exact revenge.

Finally a joke from the past. A Labour council has subsidised an old folks bus run with the pensioners only have to pay £2 each. The then Labour Burgh Treasurer collects the money and is dismayed to find he is £6 short. He reports this to the Labour Provost saying " We have a £6 deficit what should I do?"

The Labour Provost thinks for a minute and then replies "Ah, just gie it to the driver"
8

Brian M,

Edinburgh 04/05/2008 11:00:34
and he adds, "I can claim it on my travelling expenses"
9

Jwil,

04/05/2008 13:51:31
"Council defies SNP policy on class sizes"

Well I should think they cannot do anything else since the Labour administration left them in financial dire straights.


10

megz,

glasgow 04/05/2008 13:52:20
you know i would like to see the current administration publishing any and all financial mismanagement fully so as to explain to everyone how they have ended up in such direstraits. It seems such a shame that the ones trying to do all they can to fix the mess caused by the last lot are the ones being blamed for it.
11

MartinR,

Inverness 04/05/2008 14:57:18
Its interesting to note that all the nat contributors to this blog are confident that the Accounts Commission will show the problems lie with the previous administration's financial position. Keep that in mind when you're swept from office at the next elections!
12

megz,

glasgow 04/05/2008 15:17:39
i think the fact that they were selling things at around 40% of their value is a bit of an indicator of poor management read the report which states that the investigation showed deficiencies in record keeping and procedures.
13

megz,

glasgow 04/05/2008 15:17:49
http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/docs/local/2008/nr_080430_aberdeen_property.pdf
14

Nebulous,

Aberdeen 05/05/2008 17:52:58
Thanks Megz

good to see the report at last, although it has been quite widely reported in the press.

 

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