West Lothian Council leader hits back at teacher numbers criticism from MSP

The MSP wrote to the council following the release of Scottish Government figures showing a decline in teacher numbers across Scotland in 2022.

Although West Lothian’s numbers have increased, the MSP said the local authority should have recruited “far more” from its £5.526 million share of the £145 million Scottish Government funding pot.

Despite this cash injection, there has actually been a reduction of 92 full time equivalent teachers employed across Scotland.

Fiona said: “Figures show that teacher numbers in West Lothian have only increased by 29 full time equivalents in 2022, which is concerning as the council received over £5 million funding specifically to recruit more teachers. They would have been expected to have recruited almost three times as many as the official statistics say they have done.

“There is a concern that councils are not using this funding for the agreed upon purpose of recruiting new teachers. While each local authority will have different education needs, there is also a clear need, especially in West Lothian, to recruit and maintain teacher numbers and this is what that funding was allocated for.

“I know from speaking to teachers and education officials in West Lothian that the most common concerns they have are the pressures that come with having large, full classrooms and a lack of permanent posts.

"Given that this funding is to roll over into 2023, I have written urgently to the council’s chief executive to ask for assurances that the remainder of this funding is used for the purpose it was intended.”

However, council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick quickly hit back at the criticism.

He said: “I invited local MSPs – including Ms Hyslop – to meet with me and senior officers today (Tuesday) and it was made very clear to them by senior council officers that this funding has been allocated in full to provide an additional 83.4 FTE teachers and 19.8 FTE pupil support workers in 2022/23.

"The £5.6 million referenced by Ms Hyslop has already been used in full.

"To publicly suggest that this is not the case and that the council has failed to recruit more teachers is factually incorrect and proves that senior elected SNP politicians are simply misleading the West Lothian public – the very people they are here to serve.

“All 32 council leaders represented on CoSLA – including leaders of all political parties – have written to the First Minister expressing their collective deep concern about the impacts of the financial settlement the Scottish Government has proposed for Local Government as part of this year’s Scottish budget.

“They have unanimously agreed that the budget settlement is a significant real term cut to core funding.

“This is in addition to all 32 Local Government Directors of Finance from all of Scottish councils – also writing to the Depute First Minister expressing their grave concern for the future of local services.

“Is it not about time the SNP MSPs – who are elected to serve and protect local services – step into the real world and accept the facts?”

The argument erupted as it was revealed that cuts to teacher numbers in West Lothian are still being proposed in a bid to balance the budget, despite the Scottish Government education minister suggesting they would be off the table.

Council officers in West Lothian have been forced to consider reductions in the school day, as well as teacher numbers.

Cuts to staff in local schools amounted to around 180 FTE posts. Dr Elaine Cook, the depute chief executive for education, stressed that this was a calculation based on average salaries rather than actual jobs.

There were also reductions in the school day/teaching time across primaries and secondaries, as well as a greater reliance on online learning.

More than 160 pages of proposals were put before members of the education policy development and scrutiny panel.

Officers faced lengthy questioning on classroom hours being cut with the potential loss of 665 hours of teacher time in primary schools and 31 hours of lost teaching time at secondaries.

They were also questioned on other proposed changes, including shared headships in primary schools.

Closing the meeting, panel chairman Councillor Andrew McGuire said: “I’m a recent product of the West Lothian education system and I firmly believe that it is the best in the world as a direct result of the investment that education officers and staff give to each pupil to help them reach their full potential.

“I firmly believe that had that not been the case I wouldn’t be sitting here today. It’s tragic and heartbreaking the situation we are in.

“I would dearly like as chair of education to be in the position where education was protected.

"We really need to have a national debate about how local government is funded.”