The majority of the Reykjavík City sport and leisure council has proposed some minor amendments to the Best Party and Social Democrats’ plans for changes to the arrangement of playschools, elementary schools and afterschool centers in the capital.
From an Icelandic playschool. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
The majority proposes that a few of the school and playschool mergers be postponed until the end of this year and in some cases even longer, Fréttabladid reports.
After a closer look, some merger plans which didn’t seem viable should be abandoned altogether, the majority reasons, and in other cases closer cooperation with parties of interest should take place before any final decisions are made.
Meetings on further cutbacks with parents and school staff will be held in all districts this spring. However, the wishes of all cannot be granted due to the tight situation of the city’s finances, the majority stressed.
The majority estimates that the changes will deliver ISK 1 billion (USD 8.8 million, EUR 6.1 million) in savings in three and a half years, ISK 300 million (USD 2.7 million, EUR 1.8 million) thereof in 2012. All playschool employees who lose their jobs will be offered new positions.
The representatives of the Independence Party in the city’s education council submitted a statement at its meeting on Wednesday saying they regretted the majority’s stubbornness in carrying through these changes in spite of loud protest.
The savings would be insignificant and likely to cause further chaos and fear, they reasoned.
Click here to read more about the controversial merger plans.
