Minimum learning hours: we need local decisions argue councillors

The decisions, councillors say, should be examined and standardised, but ultimately they should be made locally based.

Scottish Government ministers have proposed to set in law the minimum number of learning hours that local authorities must provide in secondary schools, and they are holding ongoing consultations.

Cabinet Committee members and Fife’s education service agreed that a standard needs to be set, but that standard should be set locally.

Labour member Cara Hilton, spokesperson for education, said: “Every young person in Fife should expect equity in the learning hours they receive. That is not the case at the moment in our high schools so that is something we need to look at.”

She continued: “It’s important we have a Fife based solution that meets the needs of our local students. What is not right is that the Scottish Government is attempting to impose restrictions on local authorities in such an arbitrary way in the face of opposition from COSLA and without any sort of flexibility for local circumstances. Or most importantly without the funding needed to support the delivery of the changes needed.”

The government is consulting on a minimum 27.5 hour learning week for secondary schools. Shelagh McLean, head of education and children’s services said there are currently four secondary schools in Fife with 27 learning hours per week. The rest vary between 26.25 and 27.5. A central mandate from the Scottish Government could very well result in cost increases for the local council with no promise of additional funding from the government.

Councillor Altany Craik (Glenrothes West and Kinglassie, Labour) said: “Telling us to do more with less is not going to get a positive outcome. I think the Government needs to give us the tools to do the job and stop trying to mandate things centrally.”

He said the proposals are not outcome focused and “not supported by clear evidence” and added: “It’s about the quality of hours and the quality of teachers and the quality of the environment in which you put them in. None of which are actually improved by mandate on the number of hours through central government,”

SNP members were less vocal criticising Ministerial proposals, but agreed that Fife needs to look at standardising its learning hours regardless of the consultation.

“First and foremost, we are about educating our kids and reducing the attainment gap,” said council opposition leader David Alexander (Leven, Kennoway and Largo, SNP).

“I could let the consultation go but I think we need to be looking at what we need to do to make things equitable across Fife.”

Once the consultation responses have been analysed, the Scottish Government says it will publish a statement of what has been done or is going to be done and why and how the consultation has informed those decisions. The minimum learning hours consultation is open to the public, and it closes on June 13.