Concerned parents have challenged Argyll and Bute Council to show its commitment to children’s safety by taking school crossing patrols off the table as a savings option – now and in the future.
The proposed scrapping of the service, and the potential removal of pupil support assistant hours, are the subject of a letter to the authority’s elected members from the parent council at Hermitage Primary School in Helensburgh.
And a councillor who works as a teacher has also expressed concerns at the possible savings, which are two of a number of options put forward by the council.
A survey conducted by the parent council revealed that nearly nine out of ten responding parents felt their children would be at an unacceptable level of risk if crossing patrols were scrapped.
Six out of ten who responded also said that the retention of pupil support assistants should be viewed as a priority.
The proposed savings options will be scrutinised by members of the council’s policy and resources committee later today. The budget will be finalised by the full council a week later.
Claire Walker, chair of the Hermitage parent council, said: “It is very disappointing that once again the safety and welfare of our children is being put at risk by these cuts.
“What parents are requesting is very simple. They want to ensure their children have the best possible chance of a good education and support throughout their school journey whilst being kept safe on all aspects of that journey.
“Over 83% of respondents to the survey said that they or their children use the crossing patrols that serve our school every day.
“If this service were to be withdrawn, 89% feel the level of risk increases to an unacceptable level, with the potential risk of significant harm to our children.
“To add to the already congested area, 38% said they would have to change their mode of transport to school by then using the car.
“We see it reasonable to conclude, that it is highly likely that there would be a significant increase in traffic and pollution around Hermitage Primary School posing a potential risk to our children if the service were to be withdrawn.
“There is overwhelming support for the crossing patrol service and this is highlighted by the majority of parents feeling protecting the service should be seen as a priority by the council.
“The monetary value that would be gained by withdrawing this service is a long way off the value of the life of a child.”
Switching attention to the potential removal of pupil support assistants, Ms Walker said 60% of parents had seen this as a priority.
“This is a role that is vital in supporting ALL the children that pass through Hermitage Primary School including those with additional support needs,” she added.
“They contribute to the assessment of pupil achievement and attainment using the skills they have gained through their professional qualifications.
“If the funding for this post is withdrawn, a large number of children would be deprived of the help, care and support they need in their early years development, resulting in a negative impact on their future.”
“Whilst we are sympathetic to the restrictions on the council’s budget and appreciate that there will be many competing priorities, the Hermitage Primary Parent Council consider that the views of such a significant component of the community in Helensburgh – the largest primary school in Argyll and Bute – should be taken into account.
“We would encourage Argyll and Bute Council to show their commitment to the welfare and safety of our children, and your future, by taking the crossing patrol as a means of budget cuts ‘off the table’ in future years to come.”
Helensburgh Central councillor Lorna Douglas, a member of the authority’s SNP opposition group, who is a member of the policy and resources committee and works as a teacher outwith her council duties, said she shared the parents’ concerns.
Classroom assistants ‘invaluable’
She said: “As a teacher I am well aware of the negative impacts that cuts to education can bring.
“The cuts to pupil support assistants will have a hugely detrimental effect on the learning and teaching within classrooms.
“They are invaluable to teachers and pupils in contributing to an inclusive learning environment and raising the attainment gap.
“It’s disappointing to see that school crossing patrollers are back on the budget savings list again this year.
“They not only provide road safety, but form part of that wider school community that is so invaluable to pupils.
“The SNP group are mindful of the budget implications with their respective council and community impacts and will carefully deliberate the proposed savings before us.”
Council leader Aileen Morton said: “We would love to be able to do everything our communities want us to do, and to have everyone satisfied with the decisions the council makes about its budget.
“The harsh reality is that that’s just not possible. In fact CoSLA (the Convention for Scottish Local Authorities) has highlighted councils’ budget position as a crisis that is reducing councils’ ability to act on local priorities.
“The views local people give to our budget consultation help a great deal in reaching the responsible budget decisions for Argyll and Bute. Thanks very much to everyone who took time to respond.
“We’ve already removed £50m from our budget in recent years and we will need to find savings in excess of £20m in the coming years.
“So the decisions that we face next week aren’t taken in isolation and we need to consider our overall financial fragility at the same time as setting a balanced budget for this year.
“We will listen to what people have told us, and as far as budget restrictions allow, will make decisions that match their priorities.”
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