Petition Tag - aberdeen city council

In order to save money, Aberdeen City Council is proposing drastic cuts to education services for children across the city and those with Additional Support Needs (ASN). Specifically, they are proposing to cut Pupil Support Assistants (PSA's) by 50% or possibly even 100% in all primary and secondary schools, and raise class sizes in ASN bases from 7 to 10 pupils.

The last time they cut PSA's was in February 2009, and they promised an impact analysis of that action but have consistently refused to release it to the public.

We, the undersigned, firmly reject these cuts to educational services proposed by Aberdeen City Council. We feel that any reduction in the number of PSA's in the classroom, by any percentage, will have a detrimental effect on our children, their teachers, and the rest of the school population.

Furthermore, we feel it is not prudent to make further cuts without an impact analysis from previous cuts. We also do not accept a move to increase class sizes in ASN bases from 7 to 10 pupils. This, coupled with a reduction in teacher and PSA numbers, will mean our children are left with severely impaired educational support. Many of our children will also be left unsafe and their teachers subject to increased stress.

Children are a vulnerable population because they often cannot speak for themselves, and they need our help now. Please stop this vicious attack on our children by Aberdeen City Council and sign our petition!!

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This petition aims to persuade Aberdeen City Council to install sufficient and adequate lighting into Seaton Park. Along with proper lighting, security is a major issue and that is why this also calls for the installation of CCTV camera's in the park.

This is the main thoroughfare for students crossing between campus and Hillhead Halls of Residence so it should have the best facilities to ensure the safety of all students and the general public living around the area.

Please back the campaign!

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We have heard news that Dyce Academy Swimming Pool will not be taken on by Sport Aberdeen in the next financial year.

Sport Aberdeen is the Trust that has been set up by Aberdeen City Council to take over the running of sporting facilities including Swimming Pools. Discussions surrounding the pool have taken place without consultation with our Club which is very disappointing as this has meant we are now in the position where we need to fight hard to reverse these changes.In the past the club has developed hundreds of young atheletes with success at National and European level. It will be a great shame for us to lose our local pool.

The closure will not only affect our club but it will also affect every school pupil in and around Dyce. Scottish Government and indeed most political parties support increased sport and physical activity in our youth. It is only by providing facilities for the grass roots youngsters that we will be able to encourage and promote tomorrow’s sport professionals.

According to a BBC new article there are over 300 children on Aberdeen City Council waiting lists looking for swimming lessons. In addition Dyce (Aberdeen) ASC and Aberdeen Dolphins ASC would need to look for alternative accommodation for their own Learn to Swim Schemes, involving over 200 swimmers. Where are these kids going get lessons if Dyce, Summerhill and Linksfield are to close?

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In 2008, Sir Ian Wood pledged £50m of his personal fortune to creating a civic heart for the City of Aberdeen.

This heart would be created in the space of Union Terrace Gardens and the Denburn Valley.

The project is now being lead by Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future (ACSEF) under the branding "the City Square Project" and will consult the public starting 11 January 2010 on what they would like to see included in the new space.

It is a bold, ambitious project to regenerate our city centre and help create and safeguard jobs now and in the future. Delivery of this project would firmly position Aberdeen City and Shire as a global energy centre, capable of attracting and retaining people, business and investment.

If the City Square project does go ahead, it will need to gain planning permission and funding. There will also be further detailed consultation before submitting any planning application. And should the project go ahead, it could be delivered as early as 2014.

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Aberdeen City Council has applied 6% cuts to all services to meet the budgetary requirements set by the Scottish Government. As part of the austerity measures, the Pupil Support Assistant (PSA) budget is being reduced by £2.2million. A formula has been applied across all schools in Aberdeen and PSA hours will be reduced by as much as 60%.

The PSAs are essential to the delivery of education to children with and without special educational needs. For example, a PSA will help a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder focus on a piece of work while the teacher works with the remainder of the class. The same PSA will also, when the opportunity arises, help mark and correct work done in class by a child with no special educational needs. With reduced PSA support, the teaching staff will have less time to do their current classroom tasks. The standard of education of all children will therefore be compromised if the proposed cuts are implemented in August 2009.

The formula being applied to reduce PSAs is more heavily weighted for school roll and deprivation than on the actual needs of the children. This has lead to inconsistencies in the planned PSA reductions. A large school in an area of greater deprivation, but with no special needs unit will have a relatively small reduction in PSAs. In contrast a school in an area of less deprivation, but with a special needs unit will suffer greatly. The perceived injustice of PSA cuts has been exaggerated by the injustice of the outdated formula. No assessment of needs has been done. The proposed PSA cuts are not in the spirit of the Education (Additional Support For Learning) Act 2004 and, being purely financially-driven, contravene the legislation. These cuts will impact on the delivery of the Curriculum for Excellence, the Scottish Government's flagship education policy.

In summary, the PSA cuts will affect the delivery of education to all children in Aberdeen. These children are the future of the North East of Scotland and should be shielded from the financial constraints that the elected adults in Aberdeen City Council have created.

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Choices Day Service serves citizens of aberdeen city with a physical or sensory disability and their families.

Aberdeen City Council has decided to close this service in June 2008 as part of it's money saving measures.

WE BELIEVE THIS IS A SHORT-SIGHTED DECISION WHICH TAKES NO ACCOUNT OF THE HUMAN COST.

We intend to send this petition to all Aberdeen City Councillors,all M.S.P's and M.P's and to the Corporate Heads of Service for Neighbourhood Services Central Area,
Neighbourhood South Area and Neighbourhood Services
North Area.

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Aberdeen City Council is proposing the wide-spread closure of schools for purely financial reasons. The effects of this will include:

1. A potential over-crowding of other schools in the city, with a knock-on effect on the pupils' learning potential. Smaller class sizes are beneficial;

2. A higher concentration of traffic around the remaining schools at busy times of the day, will result in danger to the children, and delays to the road users;

3. Prominent historic city landmarks may be sold to the private sector, or even destroyed, never to be reclaimed by the public of Aberdeen.

Action Required:

Unused space within schools should be considered for use by other Council departments or to extend the "Educational Hubs" initiative.

Aberdeen City Council should discard their proposals for all school closures immediately, and return to the public in due course with a plan which incorporates the above.

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