Scotland’s largest teachers’ union is set for a showdown with Angus Council over “savage” music tuition cuts.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has slammed the authority over comments made by an official who carried out a review of the council’s Instrumental Tuition Service (IMS) which will lead to a 36% reduction in service, and teacher numbers cut from 18 to 11.
Councillors who agreed the service review which will save £200,000 a year but see piano and guitar tuition dropped were told provision was “patchy”.
Music support officer Jerry Randalls also told the area’s children and learning committee some youngsters were receiving “gold standard” teaching but others were not. He said the council would “go for the most inspirational teachers” under the new plan.
Elements of the official’s defence of the review plan in the public setting of a council committee have been condemned as “reprehensible” by the teachers’ union.
It claims performance has been used as a “smokescreen” to push through cuts to an area of teaching that has already taken an unacceptably large hit in Scotland.
“The EIS, which represents instrumental music teachers, is appalled by the public condemnation of our members,” said EIS general-secretary Larry Flanagan, who has claimed fractured relations will make the make the review process more painful.
He said: “We may debate and disagree about cuts in service. In the view of the EIS, instrumental music teaching has taken a disproportionate cut in budgets cuts across a number of Scottish councils.
“No other council however has sought to hide cuts in service behind a smokescreen of performance. To denigrate employees and to seek to justify cuts for ‘performance’ issues is reprehensible.”
A council spokesman said: “We have been contacted by EIS and will be speaking with them directly to address their comments. The report which was heard at our children and learning committee has been deferred to full council and will be heard at that committee in due course.”
Arbroath councillor David Fairweather said the review was being pushed “through the back door” before the council’s budget is set in around a fortnight.
He was unsuccessful in deferring the review decision until after the budget had been set but he has referred the matter to a full meeting of the council, giving every councillor the chance to discuss the plan.