Class Size Reduction in Primary Schools - Another SNP Broken Promise on Education

Today the SNP Government announced that they had given up on another manifesto promise. My colleague Laurie Bidwell, Labour's Education spokesperson on Dundee City Council, has made his views known about this on his blog. This is reported on in tonight's Evening Telegraph. Clearly, people who voted SNP in 2007 will feel let down, this is yet another policy pledge which has been scrapped.

Please find below the response from Labour's Scottish Education Spokesperson Rhona Brankin MSP.


HUMILIATION FOR SALMOND AS SNP ABANDON CLASS SIZE PLEDGE

HYSLOP’S LOST ALL CREDIBILITY - LABOUR.


Scottish Labour said today that the decision by the SNP to adopt a 25 pupil per class in Primary 1 rather than a 18 maximum for Primary 1,2 and 3 was a ‘personal humiliation’ for First Minister Alex Salmond.

Alex Salmond told the Scottish Parliament in September 2007 that the 18 pupil maximum pledge for Primary 1 to 3 (1)would be completed by May 2011 (see note 2). That position now has lost ‘all credibility’ according to Labour.

The Education Secretary announced today that rather than legislating for class sizes of 18 in primary one to three instead the SNP will legislate for class sizes of 25 in Primary 1 only.

Scottish Labour’s education spokeswoman Rhona Brankin said:

“The First Minister told the chamber with no equivocation that his class size pledge would be delivered in the lifetime of this Parliament. It will not and he should make it clear it will not. Parents, pupils and teachers deserve the truth. This is a personal humiliation for him.

“I find it astonishing that Fiona Hyslop can go in front of TV cameras and try and bluff out what is a huge policy u-turn by the Nationalists. She isn’t fooling anyone. The 18 or less class size pledge has been taken out today and quietly shot.

“This is a pledge that the SNP campaigned on which will not be delivered. As with guaranteeing two hours of PE, maintaining teacher numbers and matching Labour’s school building brick for brick the SNP say one thing but deliver something else entirely.

“Fiona Hyslop has had chance after chance and has produced failure after failure. She has lost all credibility. She needs to consider her position and make way for someone that will put parents, pupils and teachers first.”

ENDS

NOTES

1. “We will reduce class sizes in Primary 1, 2 and 3 to eighteen pupils or less to give children more time with their teacher at this vital stage of their development.” SNP 2007 Election Manifesto, page 52.
2. “ Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): The First Minister promised in his manifesto that he would reduce to 18 class sizes for primaries 1 to 3. I know teachers and others who voted for him on the basis of that promise. Can he confirm that his promise will be delivered in the lifetime of this parliamentary session?
The First Minister: Yes, I can and that is why we have made early announcements to that effect.” Scottish Government’s Programme Statement, Official Report, 5 th September, 2007.