" I have placed this item on the agenda because I am very concerned about the effects of current and future cuts in the budget of our further education college, Dundee College .

Now, Convener, if you tell me that there is not staff time to respond to my suggestion in such a short timescale, then I offer myself to provide a first draft for the Council's consideration."

15 September 2011

Welfare Rights and Wrongs in Dundee

Councillor Laurie Bidwell writes :

After nearly a year's deliberation, the Changing for the Future Welfare Rights Review Group on the city council have come up with a report. Unfortunately their report will not set the heather alight.

In their strategy, the review group point out that:

- many Dundee citizens are not claiming social security benefits to which they are entitled,
- there are many 'Condem' government cuts to welfare benefits coming up over the next year or two and - that the combination of these factors already has a negative impact on the economy of our city.

They also identify that many council staff might provide more comprehensive advice to the public and that better first time advice might reduce debts owed to the council in rent and council tax arrears. So far so good.

What is inadequate is the level and range of responses by the Council.

The report's preferred response is to redeploy our welfare rights advisers (based in the Social Work Department) to train other staff to improve their advisory skills.

This small team of welfare rights staff are recognised as the elite social security advisers in the city.

If you had a social security appeal coming up, you would want one of these staff to advise you about the paperwork and represent you at the tribunal.

These staff are also the only accredited advisers in the city in this particular field.

So while this small and specialist team's resources are diverted into training others to provide better first level advice, the queue for help with the tribunals will just get longer.

Additionally as more claims are submitted, it is inevitable that the volume of appeals in the city will grow.

How will the already stretched Welfare Rights council staff and paid and unpaid staff in voluntary advice agencies manage?

This report has nothing to say about these issues.
More needs to be done to convince us that this strategy will really deliver.

I think the existing specialist roles of the welfare rights service in the Council should be protected while also improving the quantity and quality of welfare rights advice in the city.

At a time of continuing recession, economic insecurity and squeezed family budgets, Dundee deserves better.

August 2011

Councillor Laurie Bidwell writes :

Wait Nearly Over For Spending A 'Penny'
Work has commenced in the Queen Street car park on the installation of an Automated Public Convenience (APC) which is due to open by the middle of September.

This single unit will replace the former staffed public toilets which were closed nearly five months ago at the end of March.

Unfortunately the former award winning staffed public toilets in the car park were a victim of the SNP led Council's cuts in local public services.

The opening of this Automated Public Toilet will bring to an end this gap in public convenience provision in central Broughty Ferry.

I hope users of this new facility will find it an adequate replacement.

Unemployment rises in Broughty Ferry 

The latest official unemployment figures for July show that unemployment has risen in the Broughty Ferry area by 25 in the past month.

The figures for the individual areas are given in the table below.

Unemployment in Broughty Ferry increases in the past year

10 August 2011

Unemployment in Broughty Ferry has risen overall in the past year from 264 to 283.

In the central Broughty Ferry area, unemployment is up from 59 in June of last year to 78 this June.

In Balgillo, unemployment is  down 2 from 113 in June of last year to 111 this June.

In Barnhill, unemployment is now up by 3 , from 53 to 56 in the same period.

In West Ferry, now stands at 38, 1 down from 39 June 2010.

The unemployment rates for the individual areas are :

the central Broughty Ferry area 2.5 per cent

Balgillo 2.0 per cent

Barnhill 1.8 per cent

West Ferry  1.3 per cent

Download the unemployment figures for Dundee (PDF)

Unemployment in areas of Dundee (as measured by those claiming Job Seekers Allowance)

Councillor Laurie Bidwell writes :

New Bus Service Begins Connecting Ethiebeaton Park, Pamurefield, Barnhill and West Ferry with Broughty Ferry

19 July 2011

I am pleased that on Monday 15 August, the new Travel Dundee bus service 206 will begin to run on a route connecting Ethiebeaton Park, Pamurefield, Barnhill and West Ferry with Broughty Ferry.

The service will operate six days a week Monday - Saturday.

Each day there will be six services on the continuous loop.

This will restore public transport links to the heart of Broughty Ferry and replace the Service 69 previously operated by Stagecoach.

This improved route should provide a more regular bus service for folk who felt cut off following the much maligned reorganisation of the Travel Dundee bus services last summer.

I am pleased that the voices of the fare paying public and Councillors have been eventually been listened to.

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Councillor Laurie Bidwell writes :

Damaging Gap in Higher Education Fees for our universities in Dundee

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Ed Miliband : The Labour Party I'm Determined to Lead

single click on the video to view it

Councillor Laurie Bidwell writes :

Preventing Another Lost Generation of Our Young People

14 July 2011

On Tuesday the Waste: a Future You Report was published.

The responses of more than 750 young people across the UK paint a depressing picture of the impact of unemployment on their mental health.

Shockingly, it revealed that:

- more than a quarter are so depressed they have contemplated suicide and
- others turn to drink or drugs in the face of serial rejection and bleak prospects.
Of those surveyed in Scotland, 28 per cent said they had contemplated suicide, compared with 25 per cent south of the Border.

A third of Scots often felt their "life was being wasted", while two-thirds said being classed a Neet - Not in Education, Employment of Training - made them "feel bad about themselves".

Scottish unemployment fell to 208,000 between January and March, putting the rate at 7.7 per cent - the same as the UK average.

However, Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) recently found the unemployment rate for young people to be around 20 per cent, almost three times the overall figure.

Lucy McTernan, chief executive of CAS, said:

" The evidence from Scottish advice bureaux shows that young people in Scotland have been hit hard by the recession, and that this is really causing a wave of anger and despair across their generation."

In February 2011, CAS published a survey of Scots aged 18 to 25, Being Young Being Heard: The impact of the recession on young people in Scotland.

The results of their survey apparently took CAS by surprise.

The scale of the crisis in our youth is much greater than is generally realised.

"One in every five young people aged 16 to 24 are now unemployed. For 16- to 17-year-olds, this figure jumps to one in every three."

These two research reports emphasise just how devastating it is for young people to be out of work and not in education or training.

It would clearly be wrong if we in Dundee were ignoring this message and not responding by ensuring more successful transitions from school to work, education or training.

I have written to Michael Wood, the Director of Education and the SNP's Education Convener, Councillor Liz Fordyce asking for review of what is being done in our secondary schools by teachers and other professionals to ease the path from school to work or training or university of our young people.

I am sure there is room for improvement.

I think that parents, carers and especially our senior school pupils should expect that we would be active in finding more pathways to a positive post school destination

web link :

http://www.thefutureyou.org.uk/images/stories/downloads/WasteFinalReport.pdf

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Worrying Decrease in Job Creation in Scotland as Young People Leave School, College and University

Threat of Further Cuts in Dundee Schools as Budget May be £500,000 Short

11 March 2011

A lack of progress in national negotiations with Teachers led by the Scottish Government has led to concerns that there may be a black hole in the budget of the Education Department in Dundee.

I have been advised that the figure may be near £500,000.

The SNP's swingeing education cuts of £4.1 million for the forthcoming financial year may not be enough.

In the process of agreeing the budget settlement for local government, the SNP's Cabinet Secretary for Finance, John Swinney MSP, offered councils his government’s commitment to agree reductions in the terms and conditions of work of teachers by the end of January.

Now that no progress has been made, the savings the city council assumed in arriving at its education budget will need to be revisited.

Unfortunately, I think this means that the Education Convener, Liz Fordyce, will be looking out for more cuts.

Back in December, I made it clear that I thought that these assumptions were optimistic and the savings projected were unlikely to be realised in such a short time scale.

This is another example of SNP mismanagement and unfortunately it will be the education of our children that will suffer as a result, because short term cuts often lead to long term damage.

February 2011

Councillor Laurie Bidwell writes …..

SNP Councillors vote down £379,000 for Dundee Schools they had cut by £4.1 Million

14 February 2011

At the Council's Budget meeting on Thursday 10 February, the SNP group of fourteen Councillors, with the support of the Lord Provost, voted down the Labour amendment.

We proposed to use savings we had identified, to restore more than a third of a million pounds to the Education budget.

Our proposals would have have made this a better budget by ensuring that:

We believed that the best way to achieve our priorities was to pass these funds to the discretionary budgets of our head teachers so that they might have spent this on the most important priorities in their schools.

In this way, teaching and learning in our schools would have been protected from the most damaging effects of the SNPs programmes of more than £4 million cuts.

Unfortunately, our school children and their schools will have to suffer because the SNP insisted on protecting the budget for two civic cars and not one as we proposed.

They also voted to protect money for beer and sandwiches for hospitality.

They also voted to retain an unallocated bus route development fund. Why we would want to invest more money from the council tax to boost the profits of the bus company in Dundee beats me.

I think most council taxpayers in Dundee would think this would be throwing good money after bad given the recent botched reorganisation of bus routes in the city.

So as the dust settles after our prolonged budget meeting, why does our SNP led Council prefer to retain the £379,000 savings we had identified and not shore up the Education budget they had raided?

Why are beer and sandwiches and civic cars on the council tax more important than the Education of our children?

Dundee nursery, primary and secondary schools deserve better.

Budget Cuts in Education: Councillor Fordyce in Not for Turning

8 February 2011

The committee papers for the budget setting meeting on Thursday 10 February were issued on Thursday 3 February. I have examined the papers about Schooling in Dundee and notice that they contain exactly the same budget cuts which our SNP led council announced just before Christmas.

This is despite the submission of a considerable volume of public, professional and political representations about the shortcomings in these proposals.

Representatives of our Primary School Head Teachers and Depute Head Teachers, have informed me that they have felt sidelined from consultation about the proposed cuts in their schools.

More disappointing is that their alternative budget options do not seem to have influenced the Education Convener, Councillor Liz Fordyce.

The lady is obviously not for turning!

Interestingly Councillor Fordyce made a point of publicising her visits to every one of the Primary Schools in the city after she was appointed.

I wonder what it was that persuaded her to reinstate management standards in our schools from 1972.

Little evidence here of Changing for the Future, more like Back to the Future.

Dundee deserves better.

Councillor Laurie Bidwell writes  ........

Budget Options for our Schools should be Scrutinised by the Education Committee

3 February 2011

In yesterday’s "Courier", the Education Convener, Councillor Liz Fordyce, denied that school closures and mergers were being considered.

This denial was called into question by an email from the Director of Education received by Political Group Leaders yesterday morning.

This confirmed that the Education Department had received detailed alternative budget savings put forward by Head Teachers and Depute Head Teachers in Dundee Schools forwarded by the Dundee Primary Head Teachers’ Association.

The Director also confirmed that these had been submitted as part of their consultation on the budget cuts.

The Dundee Primary Head Teachers wrote:

‘In closing, as senior managers in schools ……. There remains a strong feeling that school rationalisation should have been and must be considered. We appreciate the proposed savings (we have identified) are Revenue budget savings but would suggest that some of these could be offset by Capital savings.’
Since one assumes that the views of these senior teachers' in our schools have been read and studied and weighed by the Directorate and the Education Convener, it follows that their options have been or are being considered.

Yesterday, the Education Convener once again resorted to personal insults in relation to the issues I had raised about the budget cuts in Dundee schools.

I think that people who resort to lashing out like that have lost the argument.

Another technique she has used to shut down debate is to deny opportunities for the Education Committee of the council to discuss her cuts before they are presented to the Budget meeting next Thursday

I have consistently claimed in the council chamber and the press for an opportunity for the Education Committee to examine the SNP's budget reductions in Education.

The Education Committee should be the place where these issues are scrutinised by Councillors alongside members of the Committee drawn from the teaching profession and religious leaders in the city.

Why is the Convener afraid to present her budget proposals to the Education Committee?

What has she got to hide?"

Budget Options for our schools should be scrutinised by the Education Committee

The Education Convener, Councillor Liz Fordyce, denied that school closures and mergers were being considered. This denial was called into question by an email from the Director of Education received by Political Group Leaders yesterday morning.

This confirmed that the Education Department had received detailed alternative budget savings put forward by Head Teachers and Depute Head Teachers in Dundee Schools forwarded by the Dundee Primary Head Teachers’ Association.

The Director also confirmed that these had been submitted as part of their consultation on the budget cuts.

The Dundee Primary Head Teachers wrote:

‘In closing, as senior managers in schools ……. There remains a strong feeling that school rationalisation should have been and must be considered. We appreciate the proposed savings (we have identified) are Revenue budget savings but would suggest that some of these could be offset by Capital savings.’

Since one assumes that the views of these senior teachers' in our schools have been read and studied and weighed by the Directorate and the Education Convener, it follows that their options have been or are being considered.

Yesterday, the Education Convener once again resorted to personal insults in relation to the issues I had raised about the budget cuts in Dundee schools.

I think that people who resort to lashing out like that have lost the argument.

Another technique she has used to shut down debate is to deny opportunities for the Education Committee of the council to discuss her cuts before they are presented to the Budget meeting next Thursday

I have consistently claimed in the council chamber and the press for an opportunity for the Education Committee to examine the SNP's budget reductions in Education.

The Education Committee should be the place where these issues are scrutinised by Councillors alongside members of the Committee drawn from the teaching profession and religious leaders in the city.

Why is the Convener afraid to present her budget proposals to the Education Committee?

What has she got to hide?"

Councillor Laurie Bidwell writes ...

Barnhill Primary School Oversubscribed

Feedback from parents in the catchment area of Barnhill Primary School confirms that the Primary One intake beginning in August is already significantly oversubscribed.

This means that more parents who have a rising five child who live in the catchment area of the school have put their child's name down for entry to the school in Primary One than were accommodated last year when the Primary One classes were full.

Unless more places are found in the school, some of the children who live in the Barnhill PS catchment area could be denied a place.

In addition children who are priority two might not get a look in at all.

Priority two children are those who live outside the school's catchment area but already have an older brother or sister who attends the school.

This is a very serious issue, which may well require an adjustment to the Council's budget for next year if parents and their children are not to be denied a place at their local primary school.

I don't think parents and children should suffer from the results of inadequate planning by the Education Department.

When I raised this issue last year in relation to the capacity of public services in Broughty Ferry to accommodate more housing developments, this was dismissed and it was claimed by the Education Convener that there was plenty of capacity in Broughty Ferry schools.

Well now, where is that spare capacity for parents living in the Barnhill Primary School catchment area?

Council Should Revive Plans for Extension and Improvement of Barnhill Primary School

January 2011

10 January 2011

Labour's Education Spokesperson in Dundee, Councillor Laurie Bidwell said:

"SNP claims that their £4 million plus package of education cuts will only affect back office functions and will not affect teaching and learning are inaccurate and misleading.

Coming to many Primary School in the City will be a reductions in the number of Depute Head Teachers and a general increase in the teaching duties of any remaining Depute Head Teachers.

"When these deputes do more classroom teaching they will replace other teachers currently in their schools.

"They will not be an additional teacher in their schools.

"Overall the number of teachers in most primary school will fall.
"Not only that but as a consequence there will be less time for the remaining Deputes to undertake classroom monitoring and other work on enhancing teaching and learning in their their schools.

"This is a recipe for undermining recent improvements in attainment and achievement in schools in the city.

"It will also mean that the overall pupil teacher ratio in Dundee Primary Schools will get worse.

"This is another example of SNP broken promises on Education.
"I have requested that reductions on teacher numbers in our schools will be placed on the agenda of the next Education Committee so that it is no longer a matter hidden behind the shroud of secrecy of the Changing for Future Board.

"I think that parents and carers in Dundee have a right to know what is really happening in our schools."

December 2010

"The SNP's cuts in the city will involve reductions in key parts of the education service and I think all schools will be affected.

"The Education Convener, Councillor Liz Fordyce needs to spell out what each of her nineteen cuts will involve.

"So far she hasn't explained the impact of what each of these will represent on the ground for the education of our children.

"This needs to be clear primarily to parents and carers as well as opposition councillors like me.
"In last week's local papers the Education Convener, was asked about her city campus idea.

"This will apparently see senior pupils move round the city to take some of their higher examination courses at schools other than their own.

"On Wednesday last week, Councillor Fordyce revealed that she had not yet considered the transport arrangements and costs of moving senior pupils around the city.

"On Thursday, she also admitted that the coordinated timetabling necessary between the nine secondary schools in the city had yet to be worked out too.
"Another area needing clarification is the impact of the early retirement savings.

"How many fewer teacher will be working in our schools as a result of these changes and how will each school be affected?

"For example, I understand that there will be an overall reduction in the number of support for learning teachers in primary and secondary schools.

"This will reduce the help available to children with learning difficulties.

"These are certainly not 'back office' jobs.
"So Councillor Liz Fordyce should get out and explain her programme of cuts to parents in the city.

"I and my colleagues in the Labour Group are of course prepared to attend and hear what parents have to say.

"Before she says that we will need to wait until after the Council's budget on Thursday 10 February, parents do need to be informed now.

"If what they find out persuades them that they wish to put in a placing request for their child to attend a school in Dundee other than their local school, these need to be submitted by Monday 7 February."

November 2010