Scottish council plans revealed to scrap school registration classes, axe teachers and reintroduce music fees

Proposals from officials would risk funding penalties from SNP Government

A Scottish council is on a collision with the SNP Government as it considers axing more than 24 teacher posts and reintroducing charges for music tuition.

Various proposals put forward by officials at West Dunbartonshire Council to close a £7.7million budget gap would involve cutting teacher numbers, including changes to school staffing ratios, setting a minimum class size, and scrapping all registration classes.

The suggestions, to be discussed on March 5, come despite the Scottish Government providing councils with £186.5m to restore teacher numbers back to 2023 levels, as part of a deal between SNP ministers and local government umbrella body Cosla.

In the most recent census, West Dunbartonshire had 901 teachers, and would need 938 to return to 2023 levels.

Council officials have also proposed reintroducing charges for pupil music tuition, despite the Scottish Government providing funding to scrap them since 2021, following a long campaign.

Music tuition has reached record levels in Scotland (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto) | Getty

Another option would save £14,150 by removing swimming lessons for P6 pupils, although officials admitted this risked “reputational damage”, given the council has been conducting campaigns relating to swimming since the death of a child from West Dunbartonshire in Loch Lomond in 2020.

Among the measures potentially impacting teacher numbers would be a staffing formula change to remove three deputy head teacher posts from secondary schools, resulting in a saving of £209,500, but only when the roles became vacant.

A further cut to teacher numbers, potentially of 8.8 full time equivalent (FTE) staff, is suggested in a budget option that would scrap 10-minute registration classes at the start of each school day.

Officials said: “It would be possible instead to run ‘period by period’ registration, and remove the 10-minute slot each day, and the associated need to staff this provision with teaching staff.

“This time is largely used for administrative purposes, that could be undertaken through different means.”

The move would save £572,000 by the second year.

There are five council-run secondary schools in West Dunbartonshire, and another savings proposal suggests introducing a “common model across all five schools”, while establishing a minimum class size of 12 for any course.

Officials said: “Where schools are unable to meet the minimum class size, pupils could attend another school to study the course.”

This would have an impact on five FTE staff, although it could not be implemented until school session 2026/27.

Officials said another 7.8 FTE teachers could be impacted by changing staffing formulas so they take account of the number of pupils attending courses elsewhere, such as at colleges, saving £468,000 by the second year.

However, they admit in budget papers that there is a “risk that savings that reduce teacher numbers may result in financial penalties being imposed by the Scottish Government”.

A spokesperson for West Dunbartonshire Council said: “These are just a few of a number of saving options being proposed as part of work to close a potential £7.7m budget gap while trying to protect services. No decision will be taken until the budget meeting on 5 March.”