Christina spoke in the debate on 19 November 2009.

“Educational aspects will become more and more important as public spending is slashed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in London and we have less and less room for manoeuvre in the Scottish budget. Councils will face financial constraints like every other public body will, and although they will continue to want to improve education in their areas, as they have always done, I have no doubt that the pressure to find savings will be intense and that there will be a temptation here and there to look at closing schools for financial rather than educational reasons.

I believe that the people who stand for election to councils, including those who are successful, do so with the intention of improving services, and that none of them stand with a secret desire to close schools. Equally, I am sure that no councillor is elected with an ambition to find large savings from their municipal budgets. I am sure, too, that the discipline of preparing the educational arguments for HMIE will help our councillors to crystallise their thoughts on education provision in the areas for which they are responsible. That discipline will help them to improve on the already excellent work that they do.”

Read the full text of her speech at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor1119-02.htm#Col21418