West Scotland Labour MSP Neil Bibby has challenged Nicola Sturgeon on her cuts to education funding to Scotland’s most deprived council areas, including Renfrewshire.
Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, Mr Bibby drew a parallel between the Scottish Government’s actions and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s boasting about diverting investment from deprived areas to the wealthiest communities.
Addressing the First Minister, Neil Bibby said:
“Rishi Sunak was secretly recorded boasting how proud he was to have diverted the last Labour Government’s investment in “deprived urban areas” to the wealthiest communities.
Does the First Minister agree that money should not be diverted away from the most deprived areas in either the UK or the Scottish budgets?
If so, can the First Minister explain why the Scottish Government has taken educational attainment challenge funding away from Scotland’s most deprived council areas?”
In November 2021, the Scottish Government announced plans to “restructure” the Scottish Attainment Challenge funding. These were actually savage cuts to the nine most deprived councils, and put hundreds of jobs in frontline education and child support at risk.
The Attainment Challenge funding for the existing challenge authorities is being tapered down year on year towards 2025/26. By 2025/26, the Challenge funding for the existing nine challenge authorities will have been cut by £25.3m per year – a cut of 60%. Cumulatively, there will be £63 million cut over the next four years.
In Renfrewshire, the cut between 2021/22 and 2025/26 will be £3,234,016 – a shocking 71% cut compared to the 2021/22 budget.
Speaking after First Minister’s Questions, Neil Bibby MSP added:
“Nicola Sturgeon has said that education is her first priority, but the attainment gap between children in the poorest and most affluent communities remains far, far too large.
The decision to slash Renfrewshire’s extra educational funding beggars belief. It is Renfrewshire’s poorest and neediest children and families who will suffer as a result.”
Labour Councillor Gillian Graham, Renfrewshire Labour’s Group Spokesperson on Education, also said:
“I passed a motion at Council condemning these cuts. ALL Renfrewshire politicians should oppose them, sadly SNP Councillors refused to do so. This was despite the officers who deliver education services reporting that the reduction in funding will have significant implications for the overall delivery of the programme to reduce the attainment gap.
The SNP Government states that tackling inequity in order that every child can succeed in school is at the heart of its agenda. These cuts to Renfrewshire’s Attainment funding fly in the face of this. The attainment gap still remains and statistics show that students in more affluent areas are twice as likely as those in poorer areas to get at least one Higher.
SNP ministers have been in power since 2007. The blame for the failure to close the attainment gap lies at their door.”