During a meeting of the education committee at Moray Council today the Conservative group backed by teacher reps and the MAG group attempted to ensure a wider group fed into a major new business case for additional support in Moray as a significant milestone is reached in discussion about the future delivery of services. During a close vote finishing 7-7 the SNP forced through the business case as put.
Commenting Cllr Tim Eagle who placed the alternative motion said;
“I cannot stress how significant today was for the future of additional support in Moray. For nearly 5 years we have led debates on making sure we get this right. Fighting to ensure young people with significant needs and their families are looked after and provided with the best quality education.
As part of the modernisation and improvement programme a full ASN review was called. Despite this though the final document was limited in its scope missing out several key areas that we felt should have been open to discussion.
There were two key elements missing from the plan laid before us today, the lack of any real consultation with parents, young people, teachers and unions representative in the forming of the business case, and secondly the real thrust of what the plan was. Officers have suggested a test of change model, adapting current policy, seeing if it works and then if it does expanding it across ASG’s but the report contained little detail of what that really means on the ground.
We have seen significant increases in violence and aggression towards staff in schools and this was an opportunity to really think about what the future of ASN looks like and how we get it right for every child.
Having met several interested groups over the last few days and hearing their concerns about this plan we proposed that we bring everyone together led by an independent chair to review the business case and adapt it based on the views heard. It was a genuine attempt to really engage with and work with our communities to look to the future.
Sadly the SNP had other ideas, pushing through the plan despite the wide concerns being echoed around the meeting and completely missing the opportunity to make ASN work for our staff, our teachers, parents and young people.
Today the SNP have broken their own commitments to community engagement and have forced through a plan which limits the way we deliver ASN on the ground. I fear this will have major repercussions in the future. Today a great opportunity was lost."
