Parents from the HAGS group met with Provost Richardson and Councillor Trotter last night to discuss their proposed cuts to the Education budget, as detailed in their consultation document. The following are notes of the meeting.
Meeting with local councillors on Wednesday 12th November 2008 at 7.30pm
Present : Debbie Strachan – Haddington Infants PC
Liz Woodsend – Kings Meadow PC
Ian Smith - Kings Meadow & Knox PC
Kevin Robertson – Knox PC
Donald Smith – Haddington Infants
Cllr Sheena Richardson
Cllr Tom Trotter
Apologies: Fiona Mackenzie – Knox PC
Ian Smith outlined parents’ concerns regarding the proposed continuing reduction in the share of overall Council budget to be spent on Education Department and the negative impact on children’s education this would have. In doing so he referred to various Scottish Government, COSLA and East Lothian Council documents emphasising the importance of education and policy commitments contained therein.
Both Councillors emphasised the administration’s commitment to a genuine willingness to listen and react to submissions to the consultation process. They also outlined the overall funding context in which the Council had to make budget decisions.
A full and frank discussion then took place.
It was agreed that parents’ representatives wished to see any and all ‘efficiency savings’ made within the Education department to be retained for spending on schools and that the priority must be the protection of teaching and teaching support staff posts. Ideally there should be an increase in the overall share of the Council budget being spent on schools to accommodate the projected rise in school roll, but at the very least there should be no further decreases in the share.
Both Councillors undertook to take our message back to the Council and to ensure that these sentiments were duly considered when the final budget making decisions were made.
KRobertson 12/11
