Border Telegraph | News | Toilet roll kids

Saturday, 17th May, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 12th March, 2008 09:00

Toilet roll kids

By Ally McGilvray

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ANXIOUS parents fear their children may be forced to take their own toilet rolls into school as budget-bursting cuts threaten to catch many short.

Cash-strapped education chiefs at Scottish Borders Council are slashing school funds in a desperate bid to save money.

They are in crisis talks with head-teachers across the region amid concerns over the impact of the cost-cutting exercise following their budget meeting last month.

However, with many schools struggling to cope, concerns have been raised that staff will have to be axed in order to survive.

One parent, from Galashiels, told the Border Telegraph: “It’s really worrying.

“We have been told we may have to pay for toilet rolls and jotters for our children next term, and school trips are also likely to be cut.”

But she added: “The only way I can see them saving money is by axing staff at a time when they are promising to invest in local education.”

Council chiefs are a targeting a two per cent cut in the devolved school management fund in a bid to save £874,000 to plug a funding gap over the next financial year.

That means an average primary school head-teacher with an annual budget of £300,000 is being forced to find savings of £6000.

But, after paying for staff, heating and other fixed costs outwith their control, they are only left with a budget of around £6500 – leaving them with £500 to last the year.

Councillor Sandy Aitchison, of the Borders Party, said: “It doesn’t take a highly-qualified mathematician to see that the cut leaves almost nothing considering this is the budget for everything from toilet rolls to jotters.

“Education is too important for this messing about but there is real fear at the kind of cuts which are going to be necessary to satisfy the cuts required.

“I have had meetings with the teachers and there is real concern, stress and worry.

“They are a dedicated lot and they feel that they simply cannot cut from an already tight budget.”

The councillor for Galashiels and District, who opposed the budget, argued the council should rethink the cuts and instead plug the funding gap with money from its reserves.

He added: “I have sent an email round all councillors pointing out how ridiculous the whole thing is and urging them to revisit this whole area.”

Concerns have also been raised that, in secondary schools, the cuts could mean some Higher subjects are dropped.

Kay Miller, secretary of the Scottish Borders Association of the Educational Institute of Scotland, said: “My colleagues and I are very concerned that the changes will be for the worse.”

Education chiefs insist fears that children may be forced to take their own toilet rolls into school is only speculation.

A Scottish Borders Council spokesperson said: “The saving has been reduced by £200k per annum to protect our smallest schools who would have most difficulty in achieving a two per cent efficiency saving.”

But she added: “The question of parents having to pay for jotters has never arisen - perhaps it is simply speculation.”

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