Union urges East Ayrshire U-turn on music teacher proposals
EIS say council must 'step back from brink'
Last updated 10th Jun 2024
Scotland's largest teaching trade union has urged East Ayrshire Council to reverse plans to outsource instrumental music service management over to the local authority's leisure trust.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has written to the council urging them not to transfer all of its instrumental music teachers in to East Ayrshire Leisure Trust.
The cost-cutting move, set to be presented to elected members shortly, would see staff currently employed under nationally agreed terms and conditions of service, to the arm's length trust body,
EIS chiefs have slammed the plans, thought to be an attempt to plug a nearly £400 million financial blackhole, and questioned why there hadn't been any consultation between them and council officers.
General Secretary Andrea Bradley said: "It is wholly lamentable that East Ayrshire Council would seek to advance such controversial proposals without engaging in meaningful and transparent consultation with trade unions.
"This ill thought through proposal will see members of staff, who are employed in nationally agreed terms and conditions, removed from local authority employment and placed in an arm’s length trust; with it being wholly unclear what the ramifications may be in the medium to long term for those staff members affected.
"Where is the Fair Work in that?”
She continued: “These proposals also fail fundamentally to recognise the vital contribution which IMTs make to educational outcomes for children and young people.
"With performance representing 50 per cent of the assessment in National Qualifications in Music, Instrumental Music Teachers deliver essential tuition to prepare young people to complete SQA practical assessments to the requisite standard.
"But their impact goes far beyond this narrow, but important, academic focus and has long been shown to support the holistic development of the young people they teach.”
Ms Bradley added music education should stay within educational frameworks, and pointed to COVID-19 framework issued by the Scottish Government that put music and the creative arts at the heart of educational recovery.
However, East Ayrshire Council defended the plans, and insisted these are, at this stage, just proposals that will go before councillors at an upcoming council meeting.
Amanda Lowe, Head of People and Culture advised: "Officers are working on several cost-cutting reviews, which will be presented to Elected Members in due course.
"The purpose of these reviews is to ensure the Council delivers sustainable, high-quality services within the resources available."