News Release
CLASS SIZE CONSULTATION IS TOO LITTLE TOO LATE, SAYS EIS
Commenting today on the Scottish Government's announcement of a consultation on possible legislation to reduce the maximum class size in primary 1 to 25 pupils, EIS General Secretary Ronnie Smith said:
“The EIS regrets that it has taken so long for these draft regulations finally to see the light of day. Today's announcement is a very modest and belated step in the right direction, but the legislation would do no more than give statutory force to the primary 1 limit of 25 introduced by the last Scottish Government some three years ago.”
Mr Smith continued: “The leisurely approach adopted by the Scottish Government in producing these draft regulations – some six months after the previous Cabinet Secretary announced their intentions – means that there will be no meaningful impact on class size limits until August 2011 which is, of course, after the next Scottish Parliamentary election.”
He added: “This means that, over the course of this Parliament, the Scottish Government will have taken no concrete or enforceable steps to make further reductions in class size limits.”