Angus Council has approved a move towards a four-and-a-half day week for its secondary school pupils.
The change will be introduced from August 2017 across the county’s secondary school estate.
An amendment brought by Arbroath councillor David Fairweather which asked for more consultation on the change was defeated by 11 votes to 16.
However, the half-day will not necessarily fall on a Friday afternoon — as was recommended by council officials — after comments from councillors that this might not be the best day for employers to take pupils for work experience.
A Wednesday was also mooted, but the weekday is yet to be agreed.
At the start of the meeting Geoff Hobson, the chair of Webster’s High School Parent Council in Kirriemuir was allowed to address the council, after previously being prevented from speaking at last month’s children and learning committee.
He highlighted that the move will mean the council has to spend £370,000 a year more on school transport costs since the half-day will mean that the council has to lay on extra buses.
Mr Hobson suggested that having a 45-minute period instead of a 50-minute period would fit into the teaching week and also allow school to finish on the same time every day.
Strategic director Margo Williamson admitted that consultation had not been undertaken on the length of the class period and claimed that the increase in transport costs would be offset by savings from a “more efficient staffing model”.
Brechin councillor Bob Myles noted that the £370,000 additional transport costs was mentioned as a financial implication in the report and said he felt there was better ways to spend council money.
The change in the timetable has been prompted by a desire to scrap ‘form time’ periods, introduced only four years ago, but have now been deemed not fit for purpose.
Some 63% of pupils and 59% of staff thought the structure of the school week should change, but only 50% of parents.
Council leader Iain Gaul said: “I think this is a good idea. It’s not our job to sort out childcare but there is a whole year for parents to get their childcare fixed up.”
He added that he felt the councillors at the meeting should not get tied up with “minutiae” about transport and leave this for officers to “sort out”.
It is hoped that the “half day” will allow pupils to undertake other activities like sport, volunteering work or work experience.
Arbroath councillor Donald Morrison said there was a skills shortage in Angus and that the half day would allow pupils to gain skills to “ready themselves for the outside world”.
Montrose councillor Bill Duff added: “The working week for pupils will be the same. What we are actually getting is an extra half day.
“Senior pupils will do their normal school week, doing all their normal subjects and then do some work experience. They are actually having to work a little bit harder.”
