Dundee’s education convener has defended a decision to cut study leave for pupils ahead of exams.
Councillor Stewart Hunter said it would ensure teachers had more “face time” with the children.
S4s can presently get up to three weeks to prepare for tests, but this is set to be reduced to one day per subject.
EIS teachers’ union representative Arthur Forrest said the change was in line with national policy.
“It means schools will have to really manage their time to ensure students get the time they need to pass their exams,” he said.
“The key thing here is to ensure pupils have the time they need to succeed. But, at present, we have fourth-years allowed up to three weeks of study leave when a lot of them don’t have exams at all.
“In many cases, this is time they just don’t need.”
The timing of study leave has usually been decided at school level, but the new arrangements will see a more uniform structure introduced.
Mr Hunter said: “Head teachers have said this change will prove a huge educational benefit for the kids, as it means more face time in school with their teachers.
“We don’t like to go against the head teachers on policies like this because, at the end of the day, it’s them who know what’s best for their pupils.”
However, there was disquiet about the change when it was announced to members of the parent council of Harris Academy, which has been decanted to Rockwell while the school is being rebuilt.
One Harris parent contacted The Courier to say she believed the city council education department was being short-sighted and trying to do what was easiest for the schools.
“As a parent of a child who is going through this new system, I do not think that it is fair to put this extra pressure on them,” the concerned parent said.
“As Harris is too small in its new building the exams will not be held there, so the children are unlikely to be sitting the exams in familiar surroundings.
“It is not only Harris that will be affected, but I think it is only Dundee that has decided to do this, I am worried that this will mean that our children will be at a disadvantage and their results will suffer.”
Another person felt pupils were suffering from the introduction of Curriculum for Excellence.
He said: “I think this is unfair as they have been getting experimented on since starting high school as the SQA, the teachers, the schools and now the council work out how to manage the new system.”