Falkirk Council has delayed a decision on controversial plans to reduce learning hours for pupils in its schools.
It will now consider the matter again at the next full council meeting, on Thursday 12 December.
The Falkirk plans have prompted considerable opposition since they came to light earlier this year, being symptomatic of the drastic and previously unthinkable ideas now being considered by local authorities across Scotland as they contend with extreme budget pressures.
Also today, Tes Scotland reported that strike ballots in Glasgow over teacher job cuts had failed to reach the turnout requirements for them to go ahead.
In September, the EIS wrote to the first minister John Swinney urging him to intervene over local authority education cuts, amid concerns about the Falkirk and Glasgow plans.
The motion agreed by Falkirk Council today notes “the serious financial position before us”, but also acknowledges that the plans to shorten pupils’ learning week would be “a significant redesign of the education service”.
It warns that a further delay, to February, before reaching a decision would make matters worse, as this would entail the reduced learning week coming into effect a year later, in August 2026.
Risk of ‘deeper’ damage to education
This would put the council “at significant financial risk, and could result in deeper, unmanaged stopping of services that will impact the quality of education as well as the broader range of services to support people and families”.
A “more informed” decision will be possible on 12 December, the motion states, as by then councillors will know the details of both the UK and Scottish budgets (the latter is scheduled for 4 December). If the plans are agreed on that date, implementation in August 2025 will go ahead.
However, the motion calls on the UK chancellor and the Scottish finance and education secretaries to “deliver appropriate funding arrangements and flexibility, which would allow the council to take these proposals off the table”.
After it emerged earlier this year that Falkirk was seeking to shorten the school week - with classes ending each Friday lunchtime - the Scottish government indicated that any move by a local authority to cut learning hours in schools would be blocked.
At a meeting of the local authorities body Cosla last Friday, however, council leaders refused to give in to Scottish government pressure to maintain teachers numbers and pupil learning hours, insisting that they still need flexibility in these areas.
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