It would sound like the start of a comedian heading towards a punchline if it weren't about another SNP failure to deliver an election pledge. In their manifesto in 2007 they pledged to reduce class sizes to 18 for P1-3 by 2011.
Now West Lothian's progress, though welcome, does not a whole country make. Just look at the shocking progress in Dundee where progress has actually gone backwards in 2008. I heard on the BBC News earlier that on current rates of progress it would take 18 years 80 (EIGHTY) years* (87 years according to the Scotsman) to reach the Government pledge. So that would only be 16 years late then and any currently born child would be at, or contemplating, university should they have chosen that path.
One of the hindrances to real progress being made has been the lack on investment by the SNP government over the last 18 months. This has led to some councils cutting teaching staff or assistants to meet their budgetary expectations. That doesn't even take into account the moratorium that many have faced on capital spending on new schools to provide the space capability to me even to dream of such a target.
4 comments:
Whilst I commend the pledge to make class sizes smaller, it is making it bloody difficult to find my son a P2 place in a school in Bathgate.
Quite simply there isn't the space available to make the classes sizes down to 18, and I'd rather have a larger class size and be able to get my son into the local school which he can walk to.
With 8 years of Labour /Lib bed sharing in power, it will take a while for the SNP to fix out the mess left by them, however on School class sizes i would like to see the SNP pull up there socks.
Mind this, if the SNP are that bad in power then why did the Libs and Labour not call for a vote of no confidence ?
Paul sorry to hear that. I too commend the pledge and would like to see more practical support in acheiving it especially in urban areas.
AMW the Lib Dems did make a start on reducing the class sizes. But didn't over reach on what we promised and were delivered what was needed to meet those pledges.
As for a vote in confidence, why mess around with an actual fixed term Government when we are campaigning for fixed terms at Westminster.
An Bernard thanks for that, updated.
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