Headteacher fears pupils will lose out as budget crisis looms

A HEADTEACHER has warned pupils could miss out on classes because budget cuts prevent him from hiring new teachers.

Ronald Summers, head at Musselburgh Grammar School, told parents he could only afford one new member of staff when four were needed.

He fears these constraints may mean that pupils will miss out on lessons, and that some classes could be scrapped altogether, although East Lothian Council has denied this is a possibility.

In this month's school newsletter, Mr Summers writes that he is having to take "several steps very reluctantly" as a result of budget pressures. He writes: "If I have to stay within budget this year, it is very likely that I would have to decline to fill any teaching and non-teaching vacancies if someone left over the year.

"If this was a teacher, we would look at the timetable and see what could be arranged. I could thus not guarantee that all pupils would be taught for every period of contact they had with that department."

The school has a budget of almost £5 million and had been due to fill permanent posts in English, maths and PE for the start of the next school year.

But now only one maths teacher will be taken on as Mr Summers attempts to balance the books.

He told parents the school would be forced to rely on newly qualified teachers (NQTs), whose wages come from the local authority or the Scottish Government. He said: "To get teachers for these three posts, I am asking for NQTs in these subjects, and they come to us on a temporary contract for a year.

"In total, I am asking for 11 NQTs and there is no guarantee they will arrive in August. If any of these teachers do not arrive, I will need to look at the timetable which can be offered by that department and take steps to address this.

"This might mean classes which started to run for S3 and S5/6 in June may have to be disbanded or only be taught for part of the week."

One member of staff, who did not wish to be named, said she was "concerned" by the "shocking" situation at the school.

SNP councillor Roger Knox, who is also the father of a pupil at the school,

said: "Of course it concerns me. I think it concerns every parent. The point is that the council is looking at ways of increasing its efficiency and a great deal of thought will go into what can be done between now and the start of the school year."

East Lothian Council said any gaps in teaching would be made up by new teachers working through their probationary period.

She said: "Musselburgh Grammar School has a budget of £4,894,276 for the 2008/09 year, from which it has been asked to make an efficiency saving of £97,808.

"In the same period, it will be receiving a share of £200,000 to employ more maths and English teachers. Furthermore, Musselburgh Grammar School's roll is falling. It will have 27 fewer pupils next year. School budgets are directly related to the number of pupils in the school."

She added: "East Lothian Council is aware of how many probationers will be working in the county next year and would like to point out that very few probationer teachers fail to appear in August. We also confirm that every class will be taught by a teacher next year."