Pori drops planned layoffs of school assistants

Yle reports that Pori’s cultural and education committee has abandoned plans to save money by laying off school assistants and decided unanimously to seek savings elsewhere.

The committee will propose that the city executive and council approve a revised budget, including an additional 698,000 euros for the committee. The extra funding would allow it to drop the previous cost-cutting package.

The package will no longer include a proposed increase in after-school activity fees or cuts to spending at the Palmgren Conservatory and the adult education centre. Instead, the savings will come from replacing primary school pupils’ personal Chromebook devices with shared devices, according to the meeting minutes.

Other committees in Pori have also faced pressure over savings. Plans for musician layoffs and cuts affecting youth services and library services have drawn opposition.