By Bruce Fegen

TEACHERS’ UNION the EIS has been rapped for going public in Fife over concerns that primary pupils and their teachers are in danger of being short-changed by the local authority.

Publicity officer David Farmer contacted The Courier to express fears that Fife Council might implement only part of the McCrone agreement on teachers’ pay and conditions.

The concern surrounds the class contact for teachers, which must be reduced from August. Mr Farmer said Fife Council had received some £1.9 million from the Executive to support this. “However,” he said, “it seems that despite this funding, Fife intends to use existing deputy headteachers in primary schools as part of this nationally agreed change.

“These deputes will find that their management time will be reduced. They will be used to provide primary teachers’ revised non-contact time.

“At present, this management time is of invaluable and incalculable worth in supporting children and teachers in our primary school—that support will be decreased.

“We are sure Fife councillors are rightly proud of the current staffing level in Fife schools, as it benefits children, parents and teachers alike. We are dismayed at the possibility that they may allow education officials to eat into this essential provision.

“Fife is a party to the McCrone Agreement and we call on them to honour the financial commitment implicit in that agreement without depriving children and teachers. This could prove the unkindest cut of all.”

Fife Council children’s services chairman Tom Dair hit back at the EIS for raising such concerns in the media rather than at two negotiating forums set up between the council and trade unions. He said, “Matters like these will not be resolved through the media and I’m very disappointed the EIS have not chosen to raise this through more appropriate channels such as Fife’s Education Forum.

“I’m similarly surprised at this tactic when all sides also signed a local negotiating mechanism. We agreed to structures to enable regular joint discussions on many issues affecting Fife education and we should use these.”