Primary schools set to merge as Angus council searches for £4.4m cut in budget

Music teachers and foreign language assistants will also be cut for a saving of 160,000.

The moves are part of council-wide cutbacks to reduce the overall budget for 2010-11 by 4.4m.

A merger of three primaries – Glenisla, Lintrathen and Kilry – to form a new single Glenisla School has been approved by councillors.

All teaching vacancies, including posts for additional support staff for children with learning difficulties, will be delayed.

However, the council said 500,000 would be set aside to reduce class sizes, increase free school meals and extend nursery education – key planks of the SNP government's election manifesto.

The concordat funding deal for councils introduced by the government after election in 2007 removed ring-fenced funding in return for local authorities agreeing to meet these promises.

However, Angus education director Rachael Seitz admitted in her report to the council that the cuts could see class sizes rise.

Brian McHardy, representative of the council's teachers, warned there was no more fat to trim.

He said: "On behalf of all pupils and staff in schools across Angus, we would wish to express our concern at the real cuts. In spite of the efforts of the administration to protect front-line services, this year education in Angus will be damaged by the cuts."