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| Rally against school budget cuts | Rally against school budget cuts |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| A rally has been held outside the City Chambers in Edinburgh in protest over school budget cuts. | |
| Parents and children are opposed to councillors' plans to cut more than £2m from the annual education spending pot. | Parents and children are opposed to councillors' plans to cut more than £2m from the annual education spending pot. |
| They hope the rally, held on the Royal Mile, will persuade the council to change its plans ahead of a vote on Thursday. | |
| The annual budget for the city's schools is more than £200m with plans for 1% being cut from April. | The annual budget for the city's schools is more than £200m with plans for 1% being cut from April. |
| Some parents fear cuts would lead to fewer learning assistants and the end of specialist teachers in music, drama, art and PE. | Some parents fear cuts would lead to fewer learning assistants and the end of specialist teachers in music, drama, art and PE. |
| They also believe building repairs could be delayed and there could be fewer books and learning materials. | They also believe building repairs could be delayed and there could be fewer books and learning materials. |
| The strength of feeling among parents is intense, people really have had enough Franck BergeretParent | The strength of feeling among parents is intense, people really have had enough Franck BergeretParent |
| Franck Bergeret, father-of-three and parent representative at Bruntsfield Primary in Edinburgh, said: "Education should be the last thing the council ever considers cutting. | Franck Bergeret, father-of-three and parent representative at Bruntsfield Primary in Edinburgh, said: "Education should be the last thing the council ever considers cutting. |
| "The strength of feeling among parents is intense, people really have had enough. | "The strength of feeling among parents is intense, people really have had enough. |
| "Money spent on our children's education is money invested in our future. | "Money spent on our children's education is money invested in our future. |
| "I cannot imagine how we can survive these cuts let alone deliver the curriculum for excellence." | "I cannot imagine how we can survive these cuts let alone deliver the curriculum for excellence." |
| Marilyne MacLaren, Edinburgh City Council education leader, said: "I have been working to reduce the impact of this difficult financial situation on our schools since we received proposals in November. | Marilyne MacLaren, Edinburgh City Council education leader, said: "I have been working to reduce the impact of this difficult financial situation on our schools since we received proposals in November. |
| "Last year we protected schools from cuts and I am pleased that this year we have been able to bring savings down to just 1%, which is far less than in other areas of the council. | "Last year we protected schools from cuts and I am pleased that this year we have been able to bring savings down to just 1%, which is far less than in other areas of the council. |
| "We will also increase the school supplies and services budget for the second year running by £250,000, an important budget which had been neglected for 10 years." | "We will also increase the school supplies and services budget for the second year running by £250,000, an important budget which had been neglected for 10 years." |
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