Parents in face to face meeting with education officials over Argyll and Bute teacher cuts

• ‘Surplus’ teachers have already been redeployed

• No places anywhere on Rosneath Peninsula for new P5 pupils

• Cutbacks will not be reversed unless new families move in

Worried parents met education officials last night to discuss plans to cut teachers at schools in the Helensburgh area.

But they were told that Argyll and Bute Council would not reverse the cuts unless more pupils registered in the coming months.

MSP Jackie Baillie organised the meeting after obtaining figures which showed the equivalent of nearly five full-time posts would be cut, affecting Kilcreggan, Rosneath, Garelochhead, Luss and St Joseph’s primaries.

The council’s community services director, Cleland Sneddon – who was involved in abortive plans to cut 26 primaries, including Kilcreggan and Rosneath – and education manager Anne Paterson heard parents were concerned about the increasing use of composite classes – especially with three of more year groups in the same room.

Parents were particularly concerned about the impact on provision for children with additional support needs.

It has also emerged that because of increased class sizes in Kilcreggan, Rosneath and Garelochhead there will be no spaces at P5 anywhere on the peninsula, causing fears that young families will not be attracted to the area.

The council has a legal duty to register any pupil who lives in the catchment area and the council officials said additional registrations over the course of the year could be accommodated by changing the composition of classes and adding a teacher if needed.

However parents questioned the wisdom of disrupting pupils’ classroom arrangements in the middle of the year when it is possible to anticipate growth in the school roll.

All the staff at local schools who were identified as surplus have now been redeployed to fill vacant posts, sparking fears there will be a lack of emergency cover for teacher absences.

Ms Baillie said: “I think it’s important that local parents have the opportunity to sit down and explain their very real concerns in person so I am pleased that Argyll and Bute Council agreed to this meeting.

“It is hugely disappointing that the council is planning to cut teacher numbers in Helensburgh and Lomond while increasing them elsewhere in Argyll and Bute.

“There will be a net loss of almost five full-time teachers from our area and these teachers will not even be used to relieve shortages in the local supply pool as we were previously told.

“Children in Helensburgh and Lomond deserve better and I am determined to stand alongside local families who are opposing these cuts.

“I have already had a preliminary meeting with Angela Constance, the Scottish Government’s Education Secretary, and I am pleased that she has also agreed to meet parents during the summer holidays.”