Cash windfall means extra teachers will be appointed to primary schools

May 15 2008

ELEVEN primary schools, five of them in Hamilton, are set to receive additional teaching help.

Each school will get the cash to recruit one extra qualified teacher.

It will enable the 11 to set a maximum class size of 18 for primary one classes.

The schools chosen have the highest level of free meal entitlement, a key indicator of disadvantage.

They include Udston in Hamilton, Larkhall’s Hareleeshill, Auchinraith in Blantyre, and Rigside.

Council chiefs will use money from an unexpected £780,000 windfall to pay for the extra staff.

Some of that money will also be used to end the charges for under-16 teams using the council’s indoor sports and leisure complexes, and improve provision for autistic youngsters.

These proposals were discussed by councillors at a seminar on Monday.

The schemes received all-party support and are certain to be ratified by the next executive committee meeting.

Council chiefs hope the additional teachers will be in place by August.

It is likely that councillors will give a long-term commitment to all three proposals, expected to cost more than £1.1m over a full year.

Money to pay for the proposals this year had previously been set aside for Education Maintenance Allowances.

Cash for EMAs had up until last financial year been funded by a Government grant.

However, following the new financial settlement between councils and the SNP, there had been uncertainty about whether money for EMAs would continue to be centrally funded.

As a contingency, therefore, the council allocated money from efficiency savings for EMAs.

Now, however, the SNP Government has confirmed that the EMA budget will continue to be paid as a claimable grant.

That clarification released £780,000 for other uses.

Council Leader Eddie McAvoy said: “The investment of 11 additional teachers will mean that 35 primary classes in the targeted schools are restricted to 18 or fewer pupils for the start of term in August. This represents a significant further step by the council to ensure the resources are provided to raise educational attainment within the schools serving priority communities.”

The schools range from Rigside, where almost 65 per cent. of pupils are entitled to free meals, to St Peter’s, Hamilton, with almost 37 per cent. entitled to free school meals.

Councillor McAvoy added: “The 11 schools we are recommending to the executive committee are those that quite clearly need and deserve the extra help.”

SNP Group spokesman Graeme Horne said he had spoken to Scottish Government Finance Secretary John Swinney about funding for EMAs.

He added: “I welcome the fact that the priorities presented by the SNP Group have been recognised.”

Group education spokesman Sheena Wardhaugh added: “I am delighted that 11 schools in the most deprived areas in South Lanarkshire will have an extra teacher next session.”

The 11 primaries are: Rigside; Cathkin; Beckford; Loch Primary, Rutherglen; Hareleeshill, St Paul’s, Hamilton; Robert Smillie, Larkhall; Udston and Neilsland, both Hamilton; Auchinraith, Blantyre, and St Peter’s, Hamilton.