Union backing school chief on funding fears

EDUCATION: Fife rector’s worries over savings leading to lost staff and shorter week earns support of teaching union

Fears that budget cuts could result in fewer teachers and a shorter school week have been backed by a leading teaching union.

Fife EIS has thrown its support behind Madras College rector David McLure, who warned “fundamental change” would be needed after short-term, local savings options were exhausted.

This could include moving to a four-and-a-half-day week, he said.

David Farmer, Fife EIS publicity officer, said the savings imposed on many of the region’s secondary schools would damage the delivery of services and called on all councillors to reconsider the decision.

“We agree completely with David McLure’s comments,” he said.

“For some schools there are going to be big, difficult decisions to be made.

“The most frightening thing is they (Fife Council) are proposing cuts of roughly the same amount next year.”

While some high schools will see an increase in funding in 2018-19, most have been told they will have to find thousands of pounds worth of savings.

The Madras budget has been cut by £266,762, the second largest amount in Fife after Bell Baxter, which has been hit with a £272,866 saving.

The education service has insisted no decisions have been taken on how the savings will be made and discussions with staff will continue at school level after the holidays.

Head of education Shelagh McLean said delivering quality teaching and learning remained fundamental.

But Mr Farmer claimed: “We’re talking about losing around 20 management posts this year and roughly the same next year.

“If some of these posts are deputes then there are issues around discipline and oversight of departments.

“If it’s principal teacher posts, there are all sorts of issues about viability of subjects.”

He added: “This is not good. We need to be asking councillors to look at this again.”

The council’s Liberal Democrat leader, Councillor Tim Brett, called for a debate around school budgets.

“Officers are still saying no decisions have been made, despite the fact secondary school rectors have clearly been given a briefing on the financial position over the next three years,” he said.

The Lib Dems and the Conservatives voted with the administration in support of the cuts during February’s budgetsetting meeting but Mr Brett said the details had not been clear.

“The recommendation was to review the budget allocation formula for secondary teacher staffing. That’s all it said,” he said.

“I absolutely support David McLure. He was setting out the financial position as it had been given to him.”

This is not good. We need to be asking councillors to look at this again. DAVID FARMER

Picture: Dougie Nicolson Madras College in St Andrews is facing a cut to its budget of £266,762, prompting rector David McLure to warn of “fundamental change” being needed at the school.