Nicola Sturgeon challenged over Glasgow City Council plan to axe 800 teacher posts

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Nicola Sturgeon has been put on the spot about plans for cutting 800 teacher posts and closing schools early in Glasgow.As revealed by the Daily Record, officials in SNP-run Glasgow council council have drawn up options for slashing spending to fill a £68m budget black hole.The biggest chunk identified, £51m, would come from the education budget.Scots Tory leader Douglas Ross asked the First Minister, who represents a seat in the city, when she was aware about the “drastic” cuts.She said: “This of course is that time of year when we get lots of reports about savings options that different councils are considering.“And opposition parties, quite understandably, make hay with that, but very often these proposals do not proceed.”She said of the Record leak about Glasgow council: “I’ve not seen the detail of these.”Ross said he was “deeply worried” by the possible loss of 800 posts, which he said amounted to one in seven teachers in the city.Sturgeon said her government had provided £145m in extra funds to councils for more teachers and classroom assistants.Individual options in Glasgow include cutting back on technicians who support science learning, reducing school psychologists and axing mentoring programmes for disadvantaged young people.Other areas earmarked for savings by the council, which is led by the SNP’s Susan Aitken, include dyslexia support and swimming for primary school pupils.One of the biggest savings, £18.5m, would come from reducing the numbers of teachers by closing schools early on Fridays, affecting 324 roles.Another £22.5m could be found by revising staffing formulas for primary and secondary schools.Over 800 teaching posts would be at risk if all the options for cuts became a reality.A spokesman for