The Scottish Government has been accused of “shortchanging” Aberdeen after it emerged the city will get just 2% of an £11.5million fund set up to close the attainment gap in schools.
The SNP administration announced yesterday that more than 100 secondary schools will receive a slice of the cash to help level performance between the richest and poorest children.
But just three Aberdeen institutions were chosen for the extra cash by the government – meaning the Granite City will get about £196,000, just 2% of the total fund.
By comparison, Edinburgh has been awarded £357,000 for three schools while Glasgow will receive £3.1million for 30 schools.
Last night the city council’s education and children’s services convener, Angela Taylor, accused the government of having a “continuing bias” in favour of the central belt that was having “a detrimental impact on schools within the city”.
But a Scottish Government spokesman insisted the funding allocated to Aberdeen is what had been requested to deliver improvement plans in 2016/17.
Announcing the news yesterday, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Delivering equity and excellence across Scotland’s education system is this government’s defining mission.
“I am firmly committed to substantially closing the gap in the attainment of pupils from our most and least deprived areas during the lifetime of this parliament.”
However, furious politicians in Aberdeen criticised the funding allowance, which comes just weeks after it emerged that millions raised from council tax rises in places like Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire will be used for education elsewhere in the country.
Ms Taylor said: “It is always welcome to receive extra money from the Scottish Government, however it is once again disappointing that Aberdeen has only received £196,000 out of £11.62million of funding.
“I am sure all parents, teachers and pupils in Aberdeen will find it unacceptable that as the lowest funded council in Scotland we have once again been allocated one of the lowest amounts of money from the Scottish Government to close the attainment gap.
“John Swinney has again ignored the plight of Aberdeen by awarding over 90% of the attainment fund to the central belt.
“This continuing bias is having a detrimental impact on schools within the city.”
Liam Kerr, Scottish Conservative North East MSP added: “Once again, the north-east has been shortchanged by the Scottish Government, which chooses to plough resources into the central belt instead.
“Yet when the SNP wants to raise money, it is taxpayers in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire who bear the brunt of its redistribution policies.
“Next year, millions of pounds in council tax increases paid by homeowners in the north-east will be siphoned off to the central belt – it is time that SNP politicians in this area gave us an explanation for that.”
However, the Scottish Government spokesman said: “The three secondary schools in Aberdeen City were awarded the full funding requested to deliver their improvement plans in 2016/17.
“This takes the total awarded to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire through the attainment fund to more than £670,000 since the Scottish Attainment Challenge was launched last year.”
