Labour’s Rhona Brankin says the First Minister is dodging the issue of the SNP’s ‘broken promise’ to reduce class sizes in Scotland’s primary schools.

Alex Salmond has written to Labour’s Education spokesperson in reply to a Parliamentary Question but still refuses to say how much the policy is going to cost and when it’s going to be implemented.

In response to a parliamentary question in September, the First Minister said he’d deliver class sizes of 18 in P1-P3 by 2011. However in his response to Ms Brankin he’s still refusing to set out how he’s going to make that happen.

Rhona Brankin said: “Alex Salmond’s letter does not give any concrete answers. The First Minister knows he’s going to break yet another promise to the people of Scotland.

“The SNP government hasn’t commissioned one new school and plans for a Scottish Futures Trust have been met with universal derision.”

The Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) estimated £360 million could be required for additional classrooms and £62m for teaching costs.

In his letter to Rhona Brankin this week the First Minister still refuses to give any indication of how much the plans are actually going to cost.

18/7/8