Threat to council over £9m flagship pupil fund

MINISTERS are threatening to withhold nearly £9 million for disadvantaged pupils in an escalating row over a flagship scheme to close the attainment gap.

Yesterday, The Herald revealed North Lanarkshire Council had effectively top-sliced some £1.3m from its allocation from the Scottish Government’s Pupil Equity Fund (PEF).

It wants to use the money to pay for existing classroom assistants and an administrative team at local authority headquarters.

However, Government guidelines state money should go direct to schools, with headteachers deciding where best to spend it in partnership with councils.

In a letter to The Herald, Jim Logue, the council leader, said the Government had been in contact “threatening to withhold the entire fund”.

He said: “It is entirely unacceptable and disproportionate for the Government to play games with young people’s futures in this way while our discussions are ongoing. We absolutely agree with the Scottish Government that headteachers should make decisions about their own schools.

“We have chosen to work with school leaders to develop options and support them fully in closing the attainment gap.”

A Government spokesman said it was a condition of the ring-fenced funding that all conditions had to be met before it was released.

He said: “Ministers are aware of the issues raised in relation to North Lanarkshire.

“They are clear funding must be used at the discretion of headteachers, be additional and cannot be top-sliced.”