Angry parents have revealed why they will hold protest in Glasgow tomorrow.
Crowds will gather at Govan Cross after it was confirmed that 172 teaching posts will be axed this year, with the number rising to 450 over the next three years.
The massive cuts come as Glasgow City Council is required to make £108m of savings from public services.
Now Glasgow City Parents Group (GCPG) hope they can influence crucial decisions affecting the future of education.
The protests will slam the major reductions in teaching roles and the removal of MCR Pathways coordinators from secondary schools.
READ MORE: Petition to reverse “unacceptable” Glasgow teacher cuts
Concerns also loom over the potential loss of Developing Young Workforce (DYW) coordinators in some secondary schools, due to a delay in Scottish Government funding confirmation.
These cuts could threaten to deprive many students of essential support, especially the most vulnerable and those with additional needs.
The GCPG's ongoing #LetOurKidsFlourish campaign also encourages parents, carers, and the broader school community to voice their concerns to elected officials.
As part of their advocacy efforts, GCPG urges individuals to sign petitions by EIS Glasgow and MCR Pathways, support a Scottish Parliament motion led by Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP, and participate in targeted demonstrations.
READ MORE: Teachers protest cuts to hundreds of jobs in Glasgow schools
Leanne McGuire, Chairperson of GCPG, emphasised the necessity of directing attention toward decision-makers, stating, "It's time to target the main decision-makers' areas to get their attention.
“The lack of clarity and honesty about these decisions has been extremely frustrating for parents and carers.
"Parent Councils are already being told the staffing figures for August 2024, which sees some schools losing valued teachers because their contracts are not being renewed or extended.
"The council is hiding behind the cross-party political oversight group that is apparently reviewing the decisions and claims no decisions have been made, but that just isn't true.
“Staff are already being informed and MCR Pathways coordinators have been told their jobs are at risk. We're not making this up, it's happening.
"It makes it all the more angering when the Scottish Government keeps insisting that teacher numbers are being protected. They clearly need to speak to their colleagues in Glasgow City Council then."
Expressing concerns over the secrecy surrounding DYW coordinator positions, McGuire added, "To date, GCC has not confirmed the funding for these roles so the coordinators are still in fear of being jobless at the end of June. It all feels so cloak and dagger."
GCPG extends an open invitation to all concerned to join their upcoming demonstrations, emphasising the importance of unity among stakeholders affected by these cuts.
Council spokeswoman said: “The Treasurer, the City Convener for education and early years, and the city convener for Workforce have all met with the GCPG to discuss the budget savings for education with a commitment to feedback information after each political oversight group meeting.
“Two representatives also sit on the education, early years and skills committee and can ask questions at this forum which includes the Executive Director of Education.
“Information on the February budget savings of £108million have been in public domain since then and have been reported across several platforms and channels.
“Officers will continue to support our headteachers and their schools with the new staffing models which were circulated before the Spring break.
“At every stage we will do everything we can to minimise any impact to schools but in the current financial climate the council must look at every option.
“We know that this will be a worrying time for everyone - for many years education spending has been prioritised, relative to other services, in the budget process.
“However, with the education budget now amounting to more than half of service expenditure directed by the council, it is significantly more challenging to protect education when substantial savings are needed.”
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article