NORTH LANARKSHIRE PLAN TO TAKE MONEY FROM HEADTEACHERS
Plans by the Labour-led North Lanarkshire Council to appropriate money given to headteachers to tackle the attainment gap have been condemned by the SNP, who have called the proposals “abhorrent”.
The story is reported in today’s Herald with council chiefs being accused of “emotional blackmail”. The council hopes to use the funding to plug gaps in its budget caused by their own education cuts – with headteachers being told to hand back £1.3 million.
Scottish Government guidelines state that the Pupil Equity Funding should not be used to subsidise existing services and all money should go directly to head teachers.
Commenting, SNP MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Fulton MacGregor, said:
‘I am deeply concerned at the revelation North Lanarkshire Council are attempting to strip away money from schools which has been allocated to help close the attainment gap.
‘Coatbridge schools were rightly awarded a large amount from this fund to help the most disadvantaged young people and I am outraged that the Council are trying to use this money for staffing costs which should be met by the council and not from this fund.
‘I have written to the Council leader asking him to put a stop to this immediately and allow Head Teachers to use the money as they see fit to support our young people.’
Fulton MacGregor 