CONTROVERSIAL proposals to shorten the school week as part of council cuts have been given reluctant backing from headteachers.
A survey of Scottish primary heads found 60 per cent thought it was an acceptable way to save money to protect other areas of education.
The poll by the Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland (AHDS) comes after a number of councils put forward proposals to shorten the school week.
The move has been considered by West Dunbartonshire, Fife and Highland before being rejected, but it is still on the table in Falkirk.
The move has been fiercely opposed by parents and teaching unions who argue protecting the amount of time pupils spend in front of a teacher is sacrosanct.
However, the AHDS survey found only 29 per cent agreed it was an unacceptable move. More than 90 per cent felt that if it was to be implemented it should be done across the whole school rather than in particular years.
Greg Dempster, general secretary of the AHDS, said the "disappointing" proposal would not normally find favour, but the reality of cuts facing councils had to be realised.
He said: "Councils must work within the budgets they are given. They are not the enemy. Not a single council in Scotland will be celebrating the opportunity to put forward such proposals.
"The Scottish public sector needs to make cuts whether it wants to or not and to pretend that all services can continue as they were, or to offer more, is a bit like the Emperor's New Clothes."
The AHDS said schools were facing a raft of difficulties including teacher shortages and a lack of supply staff which meant senior staff were having to cover classes and assemblies rather than performing their own duties.
Mr Dempster added: "The reduction in the pupil week is not something we would want under normal circumstances, but the budget situation means savings must be made.
"These proposals seek to preserve quality and capacity for development. There will be an impact on teaching hours for pupils and potentially an impact for parents, but the system is creaking badly and this needs to be addressed."
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland teaching union, said there was no educational argument for cutting the school week.
He added: "Council plans to decimate the primary school week have already been defeated in several local authority areas by parents, teachers and the community uniting in opposition. Our view is that all cuts that would have a negative impact on the learning experience of children are unacceptable."
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