TEACHING unions slammed a report today suggesting school staff numbers could be slashed to save cash as enrolments fall.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) paper estimates the number of students in Scotland’s schools is set to fall by 12.5 per cent or 90,000 by 2040.

It argues that if the SNP Scottish government ditched its commitment to holding teacher numbers at 2023 levels, it could save £500 million-a-year by then.

IFS say the cash would be better directed at areas such as social care and warned that keeping the commitment could see class sizes fall to as low as 12 over that period, making only a “modest impact” on achievement.

IFS research economist and report author Darcey Snape said: “Local councils are best placed to make decisions over school and teacher numbers in their areas, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach across Scotland.”

But Nasuwt teaching union general secretary Dr Patrick Roach warned the report “stands at odds with the generality of evidence.”  

He said: “Cutting teacher numbers would not only damage life chances, it would be a false economy that would have impacts in the long term on Scotland’s future prosperity.

“Using changes in pupil numbers to justify cutting teacher numbers is not only short-changing children, it is based on a fallacy that there are already optimal numbers of teachers in schools.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said “ministers would not support” the suggestions, adding they had provided councils with £186.5m “to restore teacher numbers to 2023 levels.”

That additional cash has been enough to stave off plans by teaching union EIS to strike next week over job cuts in Glasgow.

Last year’s SNP/Green budget agreed a three-year plan to slash 450 teaching posts in the city, but now, after around 300 post have gone, both parties have pledged to halt the programme and begin restoring posts.

Welcoming the move, EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said: “It is through working collectively, and working in partnership with Glasgow parent groups, that our members in Glasgow have secured a political commitment to stop the cuts.”

But she warned: “The EIS, both nationally and at local level in Scotland’s 32 council areas, will continue to keep a watchful eye on Scottish government and local authority spending commitments on education, and stands ready to do all that it can to Stand Up for Quality Education for all young people across the country.”