Open Letter

This letter is available to you to sign and send into MP's, MSP's or any other relevant parties, if you wish to.

You can either send it in yourself, or return it to the post box we have set up in the reception at school. Please don't hand to the school, as this is being led by the parent council.

We will then send the letters onto MP's and MSP's to share our concerns.

If you have any queries please make contact with the parent council on golfhillpc@gmail.com

Dear Councillors, MSPs, and Executive Officers,

We are writing to you on behalf of the children and families of Golfhill Primary School located in Dennistoun.  The wider Golfhill Parent Council and school community are gravely concerned by the news of serious cuts to the education budget for the next year 2024 – 2025 and longer term.

Across the city, we are living with the growing impacts of the financial crisis every day and are facing our own difficult choices and decisions with an increasing number living with financial strain and poverty many. This includes our families at Golfhill and the wider Dennistoun community.  These cuts could not come at a worse time when our children and families are still dealing with the impact of covid as well as the cost of living.  Our schools were already impacted with lack of resources and now this devastating news. 

No-one is immune from the impacts of the cost of living crisis and cannot choose to opt out of this.  Our children most certainly cant but we all need to ensure whatever hard decisions we make affect them the least with their best interests at heart. 

Their interests must be a priority for those with the power who draw up proposals  and make the funding decisions which will lead to the cuts which Glasgow City Council has acknowledged will mean :-

  • Attainment will reduce

  • Exclusions will increase

  • Staff absence will increase

We question how these cuts support the aim of Curriculum for Excellence which should “enable each child or young person to be a successful learner, a confident individual, a responsible citizen and an effective contributor.”

With the knowledge of the impact of the cuts, we ask what processes were undertaken to develop the proposals – what was the criteria and how was it decided that this was the best route for our children and families.  We would seek assurances that the GCC Education Department was involved at all stages to ensure that this was an informed and transparent process.

We would also like to receive a copy of the Equality Impact Assessment which was carried out as part of proposal development and final decision, given the acknowledged dire impacts this will have on already marginalised, vulnerable and disadvantaged groups such as children, children and young people with additional support needs.

We know:-

  • that the impact of the proposed drastic cuts to the education budget and the loss of staff can only be detrimental to our children.  

  • there will be widespread damaging impacts from these decisions on the health, mental health, attainment and opportunities for all our children. This is not just for over the next 3 years but this is life long into adulthood. This is not acceptable.

  • the impacts will be short term but also life long, to deny this is an insult to us all.  

  • children need quality, well-resourced education which is delivered by staff who are supported and valued.    

None of these are in the best interests of the child. None of this is acceptable.

We question how these cuts can go ahead knowing this.

We also question how these decisions and proposed cuts ensure that our children’s rights will be protected, respected and delivered.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child clearly say that our children have a right to an education but also that this education must be of a certain standard and quality which should make sure that a child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities are developed to their fullest potential. The loss of teaching and support staff will mean that for many children this right will not be achieved. 

68% of the pupils at Golfhill have an identified additional support need, or a Staged Intervention requirement. Support for English as an Additional Language is vital for our school community given the range of languages spoken.   We are extremely anxious about the impact of cuts to services such as attendance officers, supports for ASN such as the Dyslexia service.  Our children have the right to, deserve and need these supports and we question how these type of cuts ensure that all children access education and are able to develop to their fullest potential.

These harmful proposals would also mean wider opportunities will stop with the loss of Residential trips and After-school clubs. This will be devastating for our children’s confidence, ambitions and aspirations and the chance to develop their personalities and talents. This is not acceptable.

Staff

These cuts are severe on not only teaching staff but also other much needed staff who support our children, all of whom have worked hard over the past 4 years through Covid and beyond. They are already having to carry the workload of services that used to be available. In our school, and in schools across Glasgow there has already been:-

  • an increase in dysregulated behaviours

  • cuts to specialisms in teachers and closure of specialist provisions

  • educational psychologists no longer working directly with children

  • removal of attendance officers

  • heightened levels of stress and anxiety.

How can staff, many of whom were already approaching breaking point and overburdened by excessive workloads, absorb the inevitable additional work?  These cuts will make challenging situations in school even more stressful and stretch tight resources to breaking points. 

This is not acceptable.

Hard decisions have to be reached in challenging times but we as parents, carers and families are tired of decisions that impact on our most vulnerable and those who need support.  Our children do not have a voice so we must shout for them.  We need our elected representatives to take accountability and make decisions that ensure our children and their rights to an education are protected. We implore you to do your job, and if it’s not your decision, then make sure you are part of the solution by taking action.

Today we urge you to put pupils first and do everything within your power to reverse these cuts before it is too late.   The costs to our children and their future are surely too high a price for them to pay for the lack of courage, action and considered decisions of those who are meant to represent them.

On behalf of Golfhill Primary School

golfhillpc@gmail.com