After indicating that it would block any moves to reduce teacher numbers, the Scottish government has now also underlined that it opposes any attempts to reduce the ranks of classroom support staff.

Education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, who is likely to make a parliamentary statement on teacher numbers next week, responded after it emerged that City of Edinburgh Council was considering a £2.4 million cut to teaching assistant posts.

She stressed that these were only proposals, while also highlighting the government’s “determination to ensure that we recognise and protect the role of classroom assistants”.

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The issue was raised in the Scottish Parliament yesterday by Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury, who asked the Scottish government what action it would take to increase the recruitment of pupil support assistants (PSAs) and ensure that they receive fair pay.

While that question was largely deflected by Ms Somerville, who said that “pay for local government workers, including pupil support assistants, is a matter for councils”, she was more emphatic after Mr Choudhury followed up with a question about the Edinburgh plans. Glasgow budget proposals that emerged in January similarly proposed cutting support staff roles, as well as teacher numbers.

Mr Choudhury asked: “What action will be taken to protect pupil support and classroom assistants’ jobs, given the vital role that they play in children’s educational and social development?”

Ms Somerville replied that “clearly, councils have not yet taken those decisions”, adding: “I point to the national work that the government has undertaken, which has been well publicised, around teachers, and our determination to ensure that we recognise and protect the role of classroom assistants.”

SNP MSP Karen Adam then asked for details of the “Scottish government’s commitment to increase classroom assistant numbers”.

Ms Somerville said: “I am firmly of the view that we will not improve Scottish education by having fewer teachers or, indeed, fewer classroom assistants in our schools.

“Our commitment remains to increase the number of teachers by 3,500 and the number of classroom assistants by 500 by the end of this parliamentary session.”