Scotland’s largest teaching union has given a cautious welcome to news that controversial proposals to reduce the school week in Fife primary schools are now “off the table”.
Councillors meet this morning to agree the budget for 2015-18
Fife Council had mooted giving children Friday afternoons off, bringing their 25 hours in the classroom into line with the 22.5 hours a week teachers are contracted.
The EIS had warned that if these, and other secondary school changes, went ahead, 180 teaching posts could be under threat.
The plans also raised concerns among parents about the potential impact on education and possible childcare costs.LIVE UPDATES:Fife EIS press spokesman David Farmer said the union remained concerned about the longer-term budget threats to education and wanted clarity on what might happen in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
A parent campaigner also hoped the council’s announcement was not simply a “smokescreen”.
In a statement, Fife Council leader David Ross said the Labour administration “will not be accepting future cuts in the education budget.
He said the “big savings” initially proposed for education in 2016-17 and 2017-18 had now been removed.
For full coverage of the budget meeting and reaction, see Friday’s Courier.