An “unfathomable” decision to slash £2million of funding for West Dunbartonshire’s most deprived children has been slammed as new stark figures revealed the attainment gap is widening.
The Lennox Herald reported last year how the region will lose a huge portion of the Scottish Government’s Attainment Challenge cash, which aims to reduce the poverty-related attainment gap in the country’s poorest areas.
And last week, new statistics showed the pandemic has led to the gap widening – prompting calls for the funding to be reinstated immediately.
Councillors voted unanimously to back a Labour motion rejecting the planned cuts at a full council meeting last week.
West Dunbartonshire Council chief executive Joyce White, council leader Jonathan McColl and leader of the opposition Martin Rooney will write to the Scottish Government demanding the funding is restored.
The SNP leader told a full council meeting of his disgust at the decision, saying he was “flabbergasted” by it.
He said: “The reduction in funding for the attainment challenge fund is going to have a significant and serious impact on our ability to reduce inequalities in education, and help those in areas of deprivation. It is an unfathomable decision taken at a national level.
“What makes me even more angry at this point is that I asked for some information from the Scottish Government as to how they expected me, as an SNP leader, to defend the indefensible.
“In West Dunbartonshire we have been able to employ some extra staff and retain some teachers. We can do our best to try and minimise the impact. But nobody can say that this isn’t going to have an impact. Because it is.
“We will continue fighting, cross-party. I can’t imagine anyone in the chamber is supportive of what happened.
“I’m flabbergasted by the decision and I’m certainly not going to defend it.”
Under the plans £8.17m due to WDC between 2022/23 and 2025/26 would be slashed to £5.19m, with the cashpot set to be divided across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland – not just those in need.
Education chief Laura Mason explained how the attainment gap had widened across the board.
She commented: “We know there has been a significant decrease in attainment where we had made gains up until the pandemic.
“In P1 reading, the gap has increased by seven percent, it’s increased in P4 writing by nine percent, numeracy at P4 is eight percent. I could go on like that. Across the board there are impacts on children’s learning and attainment.
“We’re working really closely with the schools to see what these gaps are, which classes they are in and which children are affected.
“We have plans to do as much as we can. But there’s no doubt that the reduction will make it very challenging.”
A motion introduced by Labour’s John Mooney said the council is “appalled” by the plans, warning: “A report shows that Scottish Government cuts will damage the outcomes for learners, widen the poverty-related attainment gap and disrupt sustainable change.”
Backing the motion, leader of the opposition, Councillor Martin Rooney, said: “Our kids have missed months of school and this will have a devastating impact on them.”
A Scottish Government spokesman insisted investment to tackle the poverty-related attainment gap is increasing.
He said: “Our refreshed Scottish Attainment Challenge – backed by record investment of £1billion in this Parliament – empowers schools and councils to drive education recovery and accelerate progress in tackling the attainment gap.
“All school pupils experiencing poverty will benefit from targeted funding in 2022-23 to help close the attainment gap.
“Our new fairer funding model – to be phased in over four years – was agreed with COSLA and directly measures household income, providing a precise count of children impacted by poverty.
“All councils will now receive a proportionate amount of the Attainment Scotland Fund.
“West Dunbartonshire Council will receive over £5million, alongside additional investment through the Care Experienced Children and Young People Grant and schools will receive significant pupil equity funding over the next four years.”
