Dundee East Labour
12 August 2019
As pupils in Scotland start returning to school, Scottish Labour analysis has revealed that there have been significant cuts in schools budgets in the nine attainment ‘challenge authorities’ identified by the Scottish Government.
The £750 million Attainment Scotland Fund is a targeted initiative focused on supporting pupils in the local authorities of Scotland with the highest concentrations of deprivation.
The nine 'Challenge Authorities' are Glasgow, Dundee, Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire, North Lanarkshire, East Ayrshire and Renfrewshire.
Labour analysis today revealed that even including this funding, schools in these areas have faced significant real terms cuts.
Between 2010/11 and 2017/18, there was a 7.5% reduction in average spend per primary school pupil across the nine authorities, and a 2.9% reduction in average spend per secondary school pupil.
Compared with 2010/11, this equates to an average real terms cut of £406 for every child in primary school and £209 for every child in secondary school.
Scottish Labour said cuts like these are the result of the wider 7.5 per cent real terms cut faced by local government since 2013/14.
Scottish Labour Education Spokesperson Iain Gray MSP said:
“These figures are the reality behind the SNP rhetoric.
“Even including attainment funding, the most deprived communities are seeing brutal funding cuts in school classrooms.
“Education is not the SNP’s priority, and their cuts to local authorities prove that.
“Labour would make the richest pay their fair share so local services have enough resources and schools have the funds they need for children to thrive.”
As pupils in Scotland start returning to school, Scottish Labour analysis has revealed that there have been significant cuts in schools budgets in the nine attainment ‘challenge authorities’ identified by the Scottish Government.
The £750 million Attainment Scotland Fund is a targeted initiative focused on supporting pupils in the local authorities of Scotland with the highest concentrations of deprivation.
The nine 'Challenge Authorities' are Glasgow, Dundee, Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire, North Lanarkshire, East Ayrshire and Renfrewshire.
Labour analysis today revealed that even including this funding, schools in these areas have faced significant real terms cuts.
Between 2010/11 and 2017/18, there was a 7.5% reduction in average spend per primary school pupil across the nine authorities, and a 2.9% reduction in average spend per secondary school pupil.
Compared with 2010/11, this equates to an average real terms cut of £406 for every child in primary school and £209 for every child in secondary school.
Scottish Labour said cuts like these are the result of the wider 7.5 per cent real terms cut faced by local government since 2013/14.
Scottish Labour Education Spokesperson Iain Gray MSP said:
“These figures are the reality behind the SNP rhetoric.
“Even including attainment funding, the most deprived communities are seeing brutal funding cuts in school classrooms.
“Education is not the SNP’s priority, and their cuts to local authorities prove that.
“Labour would make the richest pay their fair share so local services have enough resources and schools have the funds they need for children to thrive.”