Question reference: S6W-13369
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 20 December 2022
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Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 January 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns by the General Secretary of School Leaders Scotland that budget reductions will lead to (a) a reduction in the range of school subjects available and (b) an increase in class sizes.
Answer
This Government has delivered the highest school spending, and has more teachers per pupil, than any other UK nation. Our pupil teacher ratio is just 13.2 – its lowest level since 2009 - compared to 18 in England and 18.5 in Wales.
In our Budget we have sought to protect Councils by providing over £13.2 billion in the Local Government Settlement for 2023-24. This funding package represents a real terms increase compared with 2022-23 and enables the continued delivery of high quality education for our children. As part of this, we will continue to provide local authorities with specific funding of £145.5 million per year to support the school workforce.