Dundee’s education chiefs have been told they face a fight to regain the trust of hundreds of city teachers after “steamrollering through” plans for a new school week.
Secondary schools will shift to a new 33-period week and pupils will start lessons earlier after approval to change timetables was agreed on Monday evening.
A large majority of Dundee’s education committee backed the plans amid claims that all head teachers and most teachers, pupils and parents were for the change.
However, David Baxter, EIS local association secretary for Dundee, disagrees and told The Courier he believes the views of teachers across the city have been ignored.
He said: “At Monday night’s meeting councillors heard from pupils, parents and from the EIS, all of whom said they were not for this decision and that they had not been properly consulted.
“The fact is that more than 200 teachers were not in favour of the changes and they were steamrollered.”
He continued: “A lot of work needs to be done between now and July and the council must show a willingness to talk to the teachers who have yet to be convinced by this decision and alleviate their fears.
“If this decision is simply the end of the matter then I believe there will be a real breakdown in trust between teachers and the council.”
The new school timetable will be implemented at the start of the 2016/17 session and will see secondary schools start at 8.45pm and finish at 3.40pm or 2.50pm depending on the day.