VIDEO: Calls for council to spend more on Highland schools

"I would hope that the local authority would take the necessary resourcing decisions to properly fund education in the Highlands" JOHN SWINNEY

As talks to decide Highland Council's new administration continue, the local authority's under pressure to spend more on schooling.

The previous independent administration's come under fire from the Education Secretary, over revelations that funding for Fortrose Academy hasn't been enough to provide essentials.

John Swinney spoke after the parent council spent over £15,000 last year to cover the funding gap, and a third of that sum was just on text books alone.

Other costs included safety googles for science lessons.

Mr Swinney said: "Statute could not be clearer, that education authorities have a duty under the Education Scotland Act to provide books, writing materials, stationary, mathematical instruments, practice material, and other articles which are necessary to enable students to receive free education.

"Highland Council for 2017/18 received an increase of over £20million in the resources available to it. That indicates that a very strong settlement has been delivered to Highland Council to enable it to properly fund education.

"I would hope that the local authority, working in partnership with the school, would take the necessary resourcing decisions against a very strong settlement from the Scottish Government to properly fund education in the Highlands."

"We ran a strong, competent administration for the last 20-months" CLLR MARGARET DAVIDSON

A council spokesperson told MFR News it's a "political" matter, and officers are still waiting for talks between groups of newly elected and re-elected councillors to form the new policy-making administration.

Yesterday's local election results saw no single group of councillors (political parties, independent/non-aligned councillors) land enough votes to take overall charge of Highland Council, although independent and non-aligned councillors form the largest presence, with 28 of them elected.

Talks will be ongoing over the next few days to agree a coalition of councillors whose senior members will form the administration's new leadership.

The result of voters going to the polls on Thursday have lead to shock and surprise for many candidates who were standing, including 10-Conservatives being elected to a chamber previously without any Tories.

And both Highland Council's previous budget boss, Bill Fernie, and the man responsible for schools, Drew Millar, lost their seats to other candidates in their respective wards in Caithness, and on Skye.

Our reporter Bryan Rutherford asked the leader of the previous independent administration: "What kind of a message do you think the voters are sending about how they feel towards your administration's record on money and schools management?"

Margaret Davidson said: "I don't believe there was a big message for the independent group about our management. We ran a strong, competent administration for the last 20-months."

Asked whether Bill Fernie lost his election bid for the Wick and East Caithness ward over the Morrison Construction-built Wick Campus fiasco, Cllr Davidson told MFR News: "Perhaps that was an element. I think there has been a very strong move towards the Conservative Party, and I think that was an element there in the North."

The newly elected councillors are:

Ward 1: North, West and Central Sutherland (3)

Kirsteen Currie - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Hugh Morrison - Independent

Linda Munro - Scottish Liberal Democrats

Ward 2: Thurso and Northwest Caithness (4)

Donnie Mackay - Independent

Struan Mackie - Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Matthew Reiss - Independent

Karl Rosie - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Ward 3: Wick and East Caithness (4)

Raymond Bremner - Scottish National Party (SNP)

A.I. Willie Mackay - Independent

Andrew Sinclair - Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Nicola Sinclair - Independent

Ward 4: East Sutherland and Edderton (3)

Richard Gordon Gale - Scottish Liberal Democrats

Deirdre Mackay - Scottish Labour Party

Jim McGillivray - Independent

Ward 5: Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh (4)

Biz Campbell - Independent

Ian Cockburn - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Derek Macleod - Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Kate Stephen - Scottish Liberal Democrats

Ward 6: Cromarty Firth (4)

Mike Finlayson - Independent

Pauline Munro - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Maxine Smith - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Carolyn Wilson - Independent

Ward 7: Tain and Easter Ross (3)

Louden Derek - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Fiona Robertson - Independent

Jamie Stone - Scottish Liberal Democrats

Ward 8: Dingwall and Seaforth (4)

Graham Alexander Mackenzie - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Alister Mackinnon - Independent

Angela Maclean - Scottish Liberal Democrats

Margaret Paterson - Independent

Ward 9: Black Isle (3)

Gordon Adam - Scottish Liberal Democrats

Jennifer Barclay - Independent

Craig Fraser - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Ward 10: Eilean a 'Cheò (4)

John Finlayson - Independent

John Gordon - Independent

Ronald MacDonald - Independent

Calum MacLeod - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Ward 11: Caol and Mallaig (3)

Allan Henderson - Independent

Billy MacLachlan - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Ben Thompson - Independent

Ward 12: Aird and Loch Ness (4)

Helen Carmichael - Independent

George Cruickshank - Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Margaret Davidson - Independent

Emma Knox - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Ward 13: Inverness West (3)

Bill Boyd - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Alex Graham - Liberal Democrat Focus Team

Graham Ross - Independent

Ward 14: Inverness Central (3)

Janet Campbell - Independent

Richard Laird - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Bet McAllister - Scottish Labour Party

Ward 15: Inverness Ness-side (3)

Alasdair Christie - Scottish Liberal Democrat Focus Team

Ron MacWilliam - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Callum Smith - Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Ward 16: Inverness Millburn (3)

Ian Brown - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Jimmy Gray - Scottish Labour Party

Isabelle Mackenzie - Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Ward 17: Culloden and Ardersier (3)

Balfour Roddy - Independent

Campbell-Sinclair Glynis - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Robertson Trish - Scottish Liberal Democrats

Ward 18: Nairn and Cawdor (4)

Laurie Fraser - Independent

Tom Heggie - Independent

Liz MacDonald - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Peter Saggers - Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Ward 19: Inverness South (4)

Carolyn Caddick - Scottish Liberal Democrats

Ken Gowans - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Andrew Jarvie - Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Duncan Macpherson - Independent

Ward 20: Badenoch and Strathspey (4)

John Bruce - Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Muriel Cockburn - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Pippa Hadley - Scottish Green Party

Bill Lobban - Independent

Ward 21: Fort William and Ardnamurchan (4)

Blair Allan - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Andrew Phillip Baxter - Independent

Niall McLean - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Ian Ramon - Scottish Conservative and Unionist

• Highland Council