CUTS to education dominated a hustings event in Stevenston's High Kirk Hall last week.

Seven candidates for Ward 4 were on the panel chaired by Canon McManus at the public event on Thursday, April 27.

The hustings was the third to take place across the Three Towns last week and offered members of the community the chance to put questions to candidates ahead of May's council elections.

One of the main local concerns raised at the event, which was organised by the Three Towns Churches, was cuts to education resulting in a loss of support staff in schools.

One member of the public, who had been a teacher for over 30 years, told the panel: “The most important future that this area has is investing in its children. If you can get education right, you can get everything right. I have former colleagues who are extremely worried. They are worried because the classroom assistants are going. They are worried because in North Ayrshire, there is no learning support.”

Another member of the community said: “This is the 3rd hustings I have been to and there is a real concern in the community about the cutting of classroom assistants. Now, since 2008, since the crash, both Labour and SNP administrations in this council have cut classroom assistants and learning support assistants and there is real concern in the community that that’s going the wrong way. We hear everybody pontificating about ‘education, education, it’s the way out of poverty’. Well put your money where your mouth is.”

Concerns over cuts to education were also reflected in a local retired head teacher, whose comment to the panel was met with applause.

She said: “What you don't realise is that the money has been cut from teachers who have retired and would normally have gone in to take over classes when teachers are absent. But the government has cut the money back and they say we would be as well going to a supermarket and being a checkout girl for a week as going back into school. Why do they cut their nose off to spite their face?”

John Sweeney, who is standing for Labour, said: “Literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing are particularly important. But you need to get it right for every child. It’s not just about exam passes. You need to help children and young people gain skills and knowledge and attributes needed for the 21st century, including skills for learning, life and work.

“The Labour Group want to tackle the cost of the school day. I was absolutely shocked and astounded that head teachers were being charged for events in their own schools. Since last August when Labour took control, we’ve stopped that. So a little bit goes a long way.”

Gerry Pollock, who is standing as an Independent, added: “Politicians and politics have a role in keeping the place [schools] in good repair, giving all the support they can, keeping the place fully staffed.

“Let the teachers get on with teaching and politicians can get on with being politicians.”

Independent candidate David Higgins preferred there to be a focus on children's individual skills rather than exam results.

Referring to a friend of his with dyslexia, he told the meeting: “When he was at school he was regarded as thick. He’s not thick; he’s a really clever guy. But it wasn’t until he was about 14 or 15 that anybody recognised how clever he was.

“They don’t need to have highers and all the rest of it. There’s other things they can do that are highly skilled but they don’t need highers to do it. Why do you not concentrate on that instead of a Curriculum for Excellence that does nothing?

“Why not teach the kids? Show them how to do things, spend more time with them instead of 'just have to get results'.”

Tom McCammont, who is standing for the Conservative and Unionist Party, said: “Children need to have a goal and they need to have a dream. A dream without a plan is just a wish.

“Children need teacher support, career support in the school classroom to get them to move forward and give them that dream and help them achieve.”

Independent candidate Alan Munro told of when he took an architect around Hayocks Primary when the local schools were all under Strathclyde Regional Council.

He said: “We had a walk round the school and within months we got things done. The windows were so rickety they were silicone shut because what happened then was all the wealth and the money was in Strathclyde, started in Glasgow and it slowly worked itself out.”

Hugh Wilson, SNP candidate for Irvine East, was on the panel representing the party's two candidates – Davina McTiernan and Chris Paton – who were unable to attend.

Mr Wilson said that child poverty “is directly related to the achievement in education sadly”, a point also made by Alan Munro.

He added: “The Scottish Government has given to the schools. Stevenston schools are getting £619,000 direct to the head master so maybe that will help them address the classroom assistants question.”

But Mr Wilson's comments were met with anger from a member of the public, who called out: “They’re losing classroom assistants!”

Mr Wilson replied: “The other thing is that I believe that the learning academy is a success with the teachers and that’s a North Ayrshire initiative, is it not?”

Labour candidate Jimmy Miller said that his party planned to “invest in our school buildings, in our young people”.

He added: “We have already secured additional funding for Auchenharvie and we will seek to invest more in the future.

“We have also made it our priority in our anti-cuts budget to protect the number of quality support staff in schools and stop the planned cut to support staff.

“We value the work of our teachers and dedication of our pupils and while we have a plan for a new Ardrossan Academy and a new Additional Support Needs School at Auchenharvie.

“We will continue to invest in Auchenharvie Academy to make sure our young people get the best chance to succeed and start a career plan.”