The Three R's.

"A FIFE Labour MSP has voiced worries over education spending following the release of new statistics. The figures indicate the Kingdom's spend per pupil is among the lowest in Scotland. Claire Baker hit out at the SNP/Lib Dem administration in Fife in the wake of the 'shameful' results and asked for more money to be spent on schooling. According to figures released by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) for 2008/09, Fife spends the least out of all 32 local authorities in terms of spending per pupil in secondary education. It is also second bottom when it comes to spending per pupil in primary education."

Carnegie isn't sure this is a party political issue. Just because you spend less than other councils on something doesn't mean you necessarily get a worse service if the services are managed more effectively. And it also seems to be a bit unfair for Labour MSPs to be lining up to criticise Fife Council's SNP Lib Dem administration given that Fife Council was until May 2007 and one budget round ago actually Labour controlled. And since then the current administration have actually increased the amount spent on each child by Labour when it controlled Fife Council.

Balancing The Books.

"EDUCATION CHIEFS in Fife are confident of clawing back a projected £2 million overspend in the council’s education budget by the end of the financial year. That was the message yesterday as the education and children’s services committee heard there had been no improvement in the financial situation in the past month. At their October meeting, the estimated overspend on the £304 million budget was sitting at £2.169 million—around £900,000 of which was due to staff absence levels."

Carnegie notes that Fife Council is indeed facing major cuts in education budget as previously highlighted. It would appear the issue is caused by staff absence, which is itself usually a reflection that employees are not having a fun time doing their jobs.

If Fife Council succeeds in "clawing back" the overspend then it must avoid cuts in front line services, but most importantly it needs to address the issues which are causing it to overspend on its budgets.

Education, Education, Education?

Cuts of £8 million don't seem to sit very well with the importance being placed on the role of education by our politicians. We all want to see greater efficiency on public services, but in a teaching environment that is very difficult without impacting on educational attainment.

"FIFE Council's Labour leader, Alex Rowley is calling for schools, teachers and parents to fight back against further cutbacks in education as it emerged this week that the Kingdom's schools are to be forced to make almost £8 million in savings over the next three years."

Educashun.

Carnegie is glad to see such major investment in Fife's schools, but as always the devil is in the detail. How many other projects aren't being undertaken or are left in the pipeline? But at least Fife's kids should get the benefit where the money is being spent.

"FIFE COUNCIL’S education committee has approved a £126 million plan to replace and refurbish some of the region’s schools. Over the next 10 years the Building Fife’s Future programme will see six new schools built and a further six refurbished as part of the council’s commitment to improving educational attainment and achievement for all. As well as a new primary in Dunfermline, the plans include a new secondary school for Kirkcaldy, and replacement schools for Burntisland Primary, Dunfermline High and Madras College, St Andrews, and either the replacement or refurbishment of Auchmuty High in Glenrothes. Extensive refurbishment works will also be carried out at the three Leven primary schools, Buckhaven High, St Andrew’s RC High in Kirkcaldy, and Woodmill High in Dunfermline."

In The Post.

So, another cock-up by Fife Council.

"AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into the loss of personal details of around 50 teachers in a north-east Fife school. Forms containing the home addresses, dates of birth, driving licence and passport details of the teachers went missing after Fife Council sent them to Disclosure Scotland. The local authority insists the forms were sent recorded delivery on April 11 and were signed for at the other end on April 12. However, Disclosure Scotland claims it received only three of the forms and on separate dates."

Fife Council are offering to "support" the staff affected, but basically they shouldn't have lost the information in the first place and the Council should be fined by the appropriate authorities for the shoddy way in which they've handled it. That might make them think twice when they next process confidential information.

Fife's three R's.

Carnegie reads that "Fife Council has defended attainment levels in the Kingdom's schools, despite figures showing hundreds of pupils are failing to meet basic numeracy and literacy standards .... in a third of Fife secondary schools more than half the S2 pupils are failing to reach the basis standard Level E in Maths, while 40 percent are not reaching the recommended level for writing. And in more than half the schools, 40 percent of the S2 pupils are failing to reach basic standards in reading. Meanwhile in a third of Fife primary schools around 40 percent of pupils failed to make the grade in writing."

And all this after ten years of the UK Government's priority being "Education. Education. Education." Obviously, those don't seem to matter in Fife. Time to stop giving Fife's kids such a raw deal and raise standards. Their futures are at stake.