George Foulkes urges the nationalisation of Edinburgh private schools.
Tue 23rd Mar 2010
George Foulkes, MSP has caused a stir by putting down a motion at the Scottish Parliament calling for conversation to begin with private schools to start turning them into state schools.
This is an old concern of George’s, as he first tried to nationalise Edinburgh’s private schools when he was a councillor on the Lothian Regional Council. This attempt was to come to an end when a Conservative government was elected nationally in 1979.
George Foulkes says he came back to the idea when he heard that Conservatives south of the Border were considering encouraging private schools into the state sector to improve state school standards.
George Foulkes said: “I am delighted by the apparent change of heart by the Conservatives.
“The reason this change is needed in Edinburgh is that it is out of step with the rest of Scotland with more than 20 per cent of school pupils educated outside the state system. This creates an imbalance in the city’s schools and we need to talk action to readdress this imbalance.”
George Foulkes recalls SNP support for the measure when he first proposed it as a councillor, though it support has not been forthcoming this time, with a Scottish Goverment spokesperson saying the SNP are opposed to George Foulkes's bill.
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