I agree that we need to continue to invest in education and training because we need a skilled workforce to make Scotland competitive when the world economy recovers

I agree that Education is important. A good education improves job prospects but if Education is protected from the cuts, the other services have to bear a bigger percentage in order to balance the budget. The secret will be to make savings in areas that will not affect the courses on offer and still provide the quality teaching necessary to ensure successful learners. It will be a challenge but, if successful, students will be unaware that any cuts have been made. Any budget reduction has to be made without limiting the choice or the prospects for our young folks.

As the saying goes, if you think Education is expensive, you should try Ignorance.

Education is the biggest service, spendingwise, in the council. It has legal duties in what it provides but it is up to the Council to decide how that is provided. In Glasgow schools for example, there are already shortages of books and materials because of cuts. And the council there has speeded up its schools closure programme. That has not happened here, is not planned for the next two years, but beyond that, we are in unknown territory.

D&G Council will struggle to make total savings of £21m in 2011, when we have never ever made more than £5m in any previous year. That’s the challenge councillors face.

For myself, when it comes to making choices, I agree with your idea that we need educated, skilled, confident people to run businesses and make money. They then contribute more through employing people who then pay taxes. And so it goes on.

But we have to ensure that the money we are spending on education is having the most impact on young peoples’ chances of success in life.

For the next two years, the Councillors have decided to protect Education and Social Work spending, in comparison to other services which will take a bigger hit. But I am not sure how long that can go on.

Hi nichjaso,

I agree that good education is vitally important for pupils, students, the economy and society as a whole.

Outwith some pruning of any unnecessary back room bureaucracy and overweight administration, should that be clearly identified, I will continue to fight alongside my group colleagues on the Council to do all I can to prevent the current Administration from cutting front line teaching staff and to try to ensure that the many enthusiastic and very capable recently qualified teachers do get jobs after their one year post graduation placements come to an end.

It’s not great to make cuts but we’ve decided that all the things the council pays for should take some cuts, otherwise if education was spared it would mean other things would be cut even more. For example, would you like to see no cuts in education but, for example, all the leisure and sport facilities closed down? No DG1. No midnight football. No tennis, putting or bowls?

I take your point about poverty rising, but I think that would be a very long term thing if, for example, we stopped compulsory education for 5 years. Then we would be getting like some 3rd world country. The economic situation is bad, but not as bad as that!