Budget 07: Government Has Failed Parents And Students

12.00.00am GMT Thu 15th Nov 2007

Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary Jeremy Purvis MSP has slammed the SNP Government's Budget as "deception, spin and half truths".

Mr Purvis condemned the Scottish Government for breaking its promises to cut class sizes, recruit more nursery places and tackle student debt and for cutting education spending.

Commenting after the Budget Statement, Mr Purvis said:

"This is a budget of deception, spin and half truths.

"There is no budget for smaller class sizes - only a pledge to "work towards" it. Where are the 1240 nursery teachers needed to meet its pledge to the youngest children?

"Students across Scotland will be wondering what happened to the pledge to abolish their debt. Without even bringing a proposal to Parliament, the Government has dropped over £70 million of proposed spending on students.

"They are not even putting that money to university funding. The universities needed £168 million of funds. They are getting £30 million. "

"It is outrageous that, as a proportion of the Scottish Budget, Education and Skills funding will fall. The three Education Ministers have neither stood up for their department, nor for Education and Skills in Scotland. When John Swinney said today that this was a new era in Scotland, everyone involved in Education and Young People should know that under the SNP this means it has an ever decreasing priority.

"Parents and students will judge them harshly for this failure to deliver."