Smith: We need to protect class sizes in all year groups and not restrict parental choice

Scottish Conservatives will tomorrow (Wednesday October 27th 2010) oppose the legal changes to class sizes in Primary 1, so we can protect class sizes in other year groups and not restrict parental choice when it comes to placing requests.

Liz Smith MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning, said:

"I believe that the statutory limit on primary class sizes should be left at its present cap of 30.

"Reducing the cap to 25 for only Primary 1 classes presents several difficulties:

"Firstly, it compromises parental choice when it comes to placing requests and it will hinder the ability of some parents to find Primary 1 places in good schools.

"Secondly, at a time of severe budget constraints, one has to ask what effect this legal change will have in terms of class sizes in other year groups - whether we will see more composite classes in older year groups or more instances of bigger classes being shared by two teachers. For Scottish Conservatives, this would not be an acceptable situation.

"Evidence shows that parents across Scotland, quite rightly, want their children taught by good teachers in a well-disciplined environment. In many cases they would prefer to have their children taught in a slightly bigger class if the result is that they can access a good school.

"It is my belief that the current legislation is perfectly adequate and should be left alone - not tampered with by the SNP Government whose class size policy has been full of inconsistencies and unworkable promises since day one. Other opposition parties have also been attacking the class size fiasco for years - here is their chance to do something about it."

Notes

Liz Smith will be tabling a motion at Education Committee to annul the Scottish Government's negative instrument (subordinate legislation SS1 2010/326) which recommends that class sizes in Primary 1 will, by statute, be capped at 25.

Her motion will recommend that this course of action is not pursued and that the current legislation is left in place.

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