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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| SNP education secretary demoted | SNP education secretary demoted |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Scotland's under-fire education secretary, Fiona Hyslop, has been demoted. | Scotland's under-fire education secretary, Fiona Hyslop, has been demoted. |
| Ms Hyslop has come under sustained opposition attack on issues including falling teacher numbers, cutting class sizes and school buildings. | Ms Hyslop has come under sustained opposition attack on issues including falling teacher numbers, cutting class sizes and school buildings. |
| Culture Minister Michael Russell has been promoted to education secretary, while Ms Hyslop will take on his previous position. | |
| First Minister Alex Salmond said education needed a "fresh look". | First Minister Alex Salmond said education needed a "fresh look". |
| Mr Salmond, who has in the past defended Ms Hyslop's record, said: "Schools policy has reached a difficult period, with our disagreement with many local authorities about their failure to reduce class sizes by sustaining teacher numbers, while we have achieved a new record low in primary school class sizes. | |
| "It is appropriate that a fresh look is taken at this and other schooling issues to break the impasse for the benefit of parents, teachers and children. I believe that Michael Russell can bring new thinking to this tough task." | "It is appropriate that a fresh look is taken at this and other schooling issues to break the impasse for the benefit of parents, teachers and children. I believe that Michael Russell can bring new thinking to this tough task." |
| Councils blamed | |
| The reshuffle came just days after Scottish government statistics showed a fall in teacher numbers of 1,348 over the past year. | |
| Ms Hyslop branded the drop "unacceptable", while blaming councils for spending cash earmarked for teachers on "other purposes". | |
| The first minister said Ms Hyslop would do an "excellent job" as minister for culture and external affairs, a role which includes Europe and relations with the UK government. | The first minister said Ms Hyslop would do an "excellent job" as minister for culture and external affairs, a role which includes Europe and relations with the UK government. |
| However, responsibility for the constitution has been stripped out of the post. | However, responsibility for the constitution has been stripped out of the post. |
| Mr Salmond said he had personally taken responsibility for the forthcoming bill on an independence referendum. | Mr Salmond said he had personally taken responsibility for the forthcoming bill on an independence referendum. |