SMITH CALLS FOR REVIEW OF SCHOOL STAFFING POLICY

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 4th Jun 2008

North East Fife MSP Iain Smith has called on Fife Council to review its policies for allocating staff to primary schools, and has criticised the SNP Government for raising expectations of reduced class sizes, whilst not providing any extra money to deliver this.

In light of recent concerns about possible cuts in teaching staff at local primary schools due to small reductions in pupil numbers, Iain Smith has called for more flexibility on borderline cases in the short term and a full review of the present policy, which particularly hits rural schools on the brink of having a teaching or non-teaching head.

Commenting Iain Smith said, "Whilst I recognise that there needs to be a policy for allocating teachers to ensure fairness to all, the present one is too inflexible to take account of the specific needs of rural schools. I hope that Fife Council will now review it.

"Parents are understandably concerned about the increase in class sizes and the number of children being taught in composite classes. They were expecting class sizes to be cut, in line with the SNP Government's manifesto commitment. However, the truth is that the SNP has not provided Scottish councils with a single extra penny to achieve these reductions."