The voices of Dundee teaching staff will be listened to as the city consults to changes in the way its most vulnerable pupils are educated, the council has said.
A city-wide consultation begins on Monday to gather views on proposals to close the learning centres at Castlepark, Connect 5 and Balerno.
Education convener Stewart Hunter has admitted that “there are teachers who are very concerned by what we have proposed” but pledged that they will play a key role in the process.
He hopes that the proposals the council will present will put the minds of staff at the offsite centres and the parents of pupils at rest and see them back the plan.
The offsite education centres currently provide education and support to secondary pupils deemed too challenging for mainstream education.
Under the council’s proposals, their services would be brought together at a new supercentre, housed in the former Rockwell Primary.
Another key change would see the centre focus upon S3 and S4 pupils, with efforts made to keep S1 and S2 pupils in their schools.
Ahead of next week’s consultation launch, Mr Hunter said: “I know there are staff members in the offsite sector who are very concerned about we have proposed.
“I have spoken with some of them and I genuinely want to work with them and the department to get to a place where we are all in agreement on the proposal.
“The pupils in offsite are some of our most vulnerable and disadvantaged and we have to get this right.
“That is why I suggested we go out to consult and actually listen to what the staff have to say.”
David Baxter, branch secretary of the Dundee EIS teaching union, has expressed concern about the level of information that has been made available as the consultation process begins.
Mr Baxter said: “There is a lack of detail within the reports that we take into this consultation process and a lot of questions that need answered.
“The report does not explain how many students will be accommodated at the new campus, how many staff it will require, nor what additional resources will be required to support S1 and S2 pupils in mainstream schools.
“I have also yet to see evidence that proves the claims that the education of vulnerable younger pupils in mainstream education will be better than that offered by the offsite centres.”
The consultation will run until January 29.