Controversial proposals to give primary school children Friday afternoons off and to increase some secondary class sizes would lead to the loss of 180 teacher posts in Fife, according to Scotland’s largest teaching union, the EIS.
The plan would see an increase in class sizes for S1/S2 maths and English to 30.
Now the EIS is calling on Fife Council’s Labour administration to be more honest about the likely impact of proposed cuts rather than playing “political semantics”.
While the council has stated it will strive to avoid teacher redundancies, the Fife EIS has been told by senior council officials that 180 teaching posts will go if specific cost-saving proposals in education go ahead.
The union understands that the changes, if agreed, would lead to 40 secondary school teacher posts being lost around two per school with 140 primary school teacher posts going if the school week is shortened.
The EIS is vowing to resist the proposed cuts and says there is no evidence that the proposed shortening of the school week in primary schools will have any educational benefit for pupils.
The union concedes there could be merits in such a system in secondary schools but the union objects to a blanket roll-out in Fife and wants more information before further action is taken.
The EIS is also concerned that larger class sizes mean less pupil contact time in core subjects.
Fife Council has the unenviable task of trying to plug a £77 million black hole over the next three years and the Labour administration has published its draft revenue budget for consultation, which includes a range of cost-saving proposals.
With education making up 51% of the council’s budget, it is inevitable it will take a hit.
The council will decide on a final budget in February.
Senior Fife councillors and officials have already held a meeting with the EIS and other unions to discuss measures to cut costs.
Fife EIS press officer David Farmer said council officials told the EIS that changes to the school week alone could save £7m.
Overall, the council is proposing to make £14.4m savings from education over the three years.
Mr Farmer said the EIS believes these proposals will feature in the final Fife Council budget and will go through.
He added: “If you take the changes to the primary school day, that would not begin until August 2016.
“At present, 140 teachers are employed to give other teachers non-contact time. Part of their employment is to cover.
“What the council would do is put all non-contact time on Friday afternoons, when pupils are not in, which would mean these 140 posts would no longer be required.”
Mr Farmer went on: “We did have a discussion about the R word (redundancy).
“We understand they won’t be using the Employment Rights Act 1996 they won’t statutorily make people redundant but the posts will go.
“It’s political semantics. They can then say they haven’t made anyone redundant but the posts will have gone.”
Shelagh McLean, council directorate resources manager, said all the proposals were up for discussion.
“This was a special education forum organised to discuss the budget proposals,” she said.
“All directorates are meeting with all trade unions and political parties, where requested, to explain the proposals contained within the draft budget.
“We are discussing all proposals, whether they are to be accepted by the administration, or otherwise,” added Ms McLean.