A council is considering increasing class sizes in two primary years to address teacher shortages and local capacity problems.

Moray councillors will consider a paper this week from their director of education and social care which invites them to approve an increase of class sizes in P2 and P3 from 25 to 30 for the next two school session.

Last month the council issued a warning that teacher shortages in primary and secondary might mean pupils being sent home, with some education officials already having to go back to help in the classroom to fill 70 teaching vacancies in Moray's 53 schools.

Currently Moray has maximum class sizes in P1, P2, P3 two and three of 25 as well as 25 in composite classes. National agreements indicate a maximum class size of 25 in P1 but this increases to a statutory maximum of 30 in P2 and P3.

According to the report it would allow more parents to send their children to their zoned school within Elgin where there are capacity problems . Schools outwith Elgin would also have increased capacity and flexibility.

" It should be noted that this will not have an impact on the vast majority of our schools. Any excess staff will be deployed to current vacant posts," it says.

The report also tells councillors that research on the link between class size and attainment finds that a smaller class size has a positive impact on attainment and behaviour in the early years of school "but this effect tends to be small and diminishes after a few years."

However the EIS teaching union's Local Association Secretary for Moray, Susan Slater, said:

"It is very disappointing that Moray Council is in a situation where it is considering increasing class sizes. We fully understand the urgency to fill vacancies that cannot be filled at the moment but, at the end of the day, we cannot have an attainment, achievement agenda without maintaining the ratio of pupils to teachers."