A SEEMINGLY non-controversial motion calling on councillors to improve their approach to teacher recruitment and retention descended into a bitter political row at last week’s full council meeting.

It is the latest example of how the debate over school standards has become a political football in the wake of Ofsted’s high-profile criticism of Swindon Borough Council’s education provision last year.

Labour’s education spokesman Carol Shelley introduced the motion at the end of Thursday’s meeting.

It noted Ofsted’s comments and the wider school standards picture and called on the cabinet member for children’s services to “develop effective strategies to support schools in the recruitment and retention of good and outstanding teaching staff.”

Coun Shelley said: “I’ve no doubt that teachers are dedicated, they are working long hours, and are committed to their pupils.

“But the recruitment and retention of good and outstanding teachers and leaders is a vital aspect of school improvement.

“There is a crisis in recruitment of teachers so I call on the council to develop a strategy with detailed action plans in collaboration with the academies to make sure that the very best professionals are attracted to Swindon and our schools.”

Under normal circumstances, one might have expected such a motion to be relatively uncontroversial.

But instead it prompted accusations from the ruling Conservative administration that it was an effort on the part of Labour to do down schools in the town.

Fionuala Foley, the cabinet member responsible for education, said: “It’s a shame Coun Shelley’s nice words about teachers aren’t in the motion.

“This motion is critical and just creates another bad headline.

“I’m very sad that you find it appropriate to take another pop at schools and dedicated teachers.

“I would hope the message we all want to send is that we support Swindon schools 100 per cent. I really am concerned about the tremendous pressure this puts on our headteachers.”

Coun Nick Martin (Con - Shaw) called the Labour intervention fairly depressing.

He said: “If you represent West Swindon you don’t recognise this sort of motion.”

Labour councillors appeared surprised at the response and accused the administration of hiding behind teachers’ feelings to avoid acknowledging the issue at hand.

Coun Mark Dempsey (Lab - Penhill and Upper Stratton) said: “Every time the children’s services department is criticised we get the same response - a manufactured offence against the staff that are being somehow insulted.

“There was no insult to staff in the speech or the motion.

“Staff should not be used as pawns to prevent real scrutiny of your policies and the performance of this council.

“The life chances of children in this town are vitally important.”

In a fiery debate that lasted for almost an hour, councillors on both sides aimed party political shots at each other but made little progress towards productive debate on the issue at hand.

Ultimately the Conservatives voted against the motion and, given their majority, it failed to pass.