Dumfries and Galloway Council outlines education cuts

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-30922576

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The price of school meals could increase and teaching posts could be lost, under cost-cutting plans by Dumfries and Galloway Council.

The local authority's education department has earmarked more than £3.5m worth of cuts to spending in schools.

They include increasing the price of each school meal by 10p.

A report also outlines plans to cut 29 full-time equivalent teaching positions.

Documents for the council's education committee claim the redundancies could save £1.1m in 2016/17.

Curriculum choices

However the report warns that the move may affect the curriculum choices of some students in the region.

It said: "It may be necessary to reduce some demand/expectation around curriculum choice and insist on a minimal reasonable class size in senior school."

Councillors have also been told that the increased cost of school meals could save more than £50,000 annually.

Under the plans, meals would cost £1.85 in primary schools and in senior schools they would be £1.95 - prices that are below the national average.

Officials have warned that it could lead to a drop in uptake of school meals, which could lead to a cut in the number of hours for staff who prepare them.

A third proposal, to reduce management costs at schools by 10%, would save more than £200,000 a year.