SNP ON CLASS SIZE LEGISLATION

For immediate use: Tuesday 14th September 2010
Attn: NEWSDESKS
EDUCATION CORRESPONDENTS




TORIES IDEOLOGICAL OBSESSION AS LABOUR DO NOTHING


Welcoming moves by the Scottish Government to set a legal class size limit of 25 in primary one the SNP hit out at the Tories obsession with ideology over education and called for Labour to face up to their failure in office.
SNP MSP and Education Committee member Christina McKelvie said:
“By introducing a class size limit of 25 the SNP is cleaning up the mess created by Labour, who failed to cut classes to 25 and failed to set the legal limit leaving councils facing expensive and unnecessary court cases as they tried to keep class sizes down.


“With class sizes now at their lowest ever level, this welcome step by the SNP Government is in stark contrast to the reaction of the opposition.
“The Tories are obsessed with ideology over practical education. Their refusal to accept that teachers, parents and children agree that smaller class sizes help education is the first dangerous sign of the education agenda they are pursuing in England being pushed for Scotland too.


“At the same time the Labour opposition has no ideas and nothing to offer Scottish pupils, parents of schools. Their councils failed to cut class sizes and now their MSPs refuse to accept the financial realities facing every part of government. While Labour offer nothing the SNP will continue to work with our schools, pupils, parents and teachers to improve Scotland’s education system and to ensure the next generation receives the best possible opportunities.”


ENDS