Glasgow City Parents Group (GCPG) has launched a £25,000 GoFundMe crowdfunder to help cover the cost of the potentially lengthy legal fight.
The group, which has held a number of protests in the city centre, is calling for a judicial review over the council’s handling of an Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA), which monitors the impact of decisions and policies; and the reduction of support supplied in schools by mentoring scheme MCR Pathways.
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Glasgow City Council is cutting hundreds of teaching posts from schools, following its budget announcement in February, which revealed the local authority required to make savings of £108m over the next three years.
Members of teaching union EIS are to be balloted on industrial action in response to the cuts.
Leanne McGuire, chairperson of GCPG, said the action had been driven by the group’s “grave concerns about the lack of transparency, rigour and fairness in the EQIA process.”
Leanne McGuire (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest)
She added: “This is not just about numbers on a spreadsheet – these are our children’s lives. Every parent wants to give their child the best possible start, but these cuts take away the support that so many children in Glasgow rely on.
“The EQIA also highlights the disproportionate impact these cuts will have on children from Glasgow’s poorest communities, who already face significant educational hurdles.
“These children are being left to bear the brunt of a decision-making process that appears more concerned with justifying a predetermined course of action than genuinely evaluating its consequences on their lives.”
The crowdfunder has so far attracted donations of around £2500.
“We’ve heard heartbreaking stories from parents who fear for their child’s future if these cuts go ahead,” says Leanne.
“Our kids deserve better, and we are committed to fighting for them every step of the way. But we can’t do it alone. We’re asking the community to stand with us to be our strength as we take on this uphill battle.”
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “It would not be appropriate to comment extensively on this matter at this time due to potential legal action pertaining to the EQIAs.
“Our position is that the decisions have been taken lawfully and in compliance with the local authority’s public sector equality duty.
“An EQIA was attached to the budget proposals document in February and included an assessment of the impact of the proposed service reforms.
“The progress of the service reforms is kept under review and a further EQIA was completed in June 2024.”
She added: “It’s important to note that the purpose of an EQIA is to highlight and make decision-makers aware of potential risks, thus enabling them to embed actions to mitigate or avoid those risks.
“The budget agreed by councillors in February also agreed to put in place processes to continually monitor the impact of decisions and actions taken to mitigate potential negative outcomes.”
