EXPERTS have raised fears poor children risk being left behind after it emerged state schools in East Renfrewshire are charging pupils for extra exam revision.
The council confirmed families will be forced to fork out £13.50 per day or £62 a week if students want to attend revision classes over the Easter holidays.
It comes after pupils studying for National 5 and Higher exams at Dyce Academy, near Aberdeen, were told they would have to pay £5 for group study sessions over the break.
Parents and teaching unions have condemned the move, insisting it runs the risk of “deepening the poverty-related attainment gap”.
Neil McLennan, senior lecturer in education at Aberdeen University, said it highlighted “a number of unresolved issues in Scottish education”.
He said education budgets had been cut, and raised concerns those most in need are losing out.
He said: “With community education budgets being slashed over the years, there is often little engaging activity for youngsters whose parents cannot take them on trips or send them to sports camps and revision retreats during the holidays.”
Writing in The Herald, Mr McLennan added: “There is a continued risk in Scotland that those in most need are regressing despite ‘closing the attainment gap’ being the number one policy priority.
“With the neoliberalist approach of devolving autonomy for this to local leaders, and placing high stakes accountability against them, I feel sorry for leaders on the ground.
“Their efforts, such as trying to run staffed revision classes to improve results, leave them damned if they do and damned if they don’t.”
An East Renfrewshire spokeswoman said: “All secondary schools within East Renfrewshire Council charge for students who wish to attend revision classes at a price of £13.50 per day or £62 per week per student, however it is free to parents/carers if their child is in receipt of free school meals.”
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