A decision on whether to go ahead with controversial plans to reduce the number of hours Falkirk pupils are in class will not be taken until December at the earliest.
Falkirk councillors narrowly voted today (Thursday) to defer making a final decision on the proposal, which is expected to save Falkirk Council around £6 million over five years to help it meet a budget gap of £56 million.
The minority SNP administration and the Conservative group supported postponing the decision until the UK and Scottish Governments have set out their budgets, making the financial position clearer.
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They also want to wait for the outcome of negotiations between the Scottish Government and councils’ umbrella group CoSLA, as they have failed so far to find agreement on maintaining teacher numbers and learning hours.
If no agreement is reached, the Scottish Government has said it will legislate to protect learning hours and will withhold funding of £4.5 million from Falkirk Council if teacher numbers are not protected.
The SNP’s Education spokesperson, Cllr Iain Sinclair, said these factors would be vital to consider in making their decision.
He said: “We know that the discussion around teacher hours and minimum learning hours is not just happening in Falkirk but is being discussed universally across all local authorities.”
The Labour group, supported by some Independents, said the entire proposal should be taken off the table to give parents and pupils reassurance about the future.
Labour’s education spokesperson Siobhan Paterson said: “I’m struggling to see where the benefit lies in putting off this decision. I don’t feel satisfied that come December or February we’ll be any better informed.”
If agreed, the change would mean no classes on Friday afternoons from August 2025 on, taking primary pupils’ hours from 25 hours to 22.5 hours; and secondary pupils from 26 hours 40 minutes to 24 hours 45 minutes.
There has been huge opposition to the plans, with parents not only concerned about childcare but also worried their children will be put at a disadvantage by having fewer hours in class.
Falkirk Council officials, who worked with a group of headteachers on the redesign, say accepting the proposals will prevent even more harmful cuts to education that would be inevitable given the council’s budget gap of £56 million.
Falkirk’s director of education, Jon Reid – until recently the headmaster of Larbert High School – told members the alternative to the redesign would be to start “ripping out teachers”.
“The principle thing is to protect the curriculum so that we can maintain or enhance levels of attainment and move young people into positive destinations,” he said.
He said his concern was once the financial picture is clearer the alternatives would cause staff more worry than the current proposals.
Independent councillor Laura Murtagh withdrew a separate motion to delay the decision until February, when she believes the true financial picture will be much clearer.
The combined SNP and Conservative motion to delay until the December 12 meeting was narrowly accepted by 14 votes to 13.
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