TEACHERS are to fight controversial council plans to axe principal teachers in Dundee as part of moves to save £2 million.

The local association of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) teaching union is holding a ballot of members to ask if they agree with the proposals.

Dundee City Council is looking to save money by scrapping principal teachers and replacing them with faculties - where one teacher is in charge of several subjects.

Where other councils have introduced faculties concerns have been raised over quality because subjects are often led by staff who have no related professional qualifications or expertise.

In addition, faculties can reduce the pool of promoted staff who want to become headteachers or deputy heads in future.

The plans, which were passed as part of the council’s budget earlier this year, will hit Dundee’s eight secondary schools - which each have 17 principal teachers.

READ MORE: Cuts to principal teachers 'damaging education'

The council's SNP-run administration is proposing to create eight "curriculum leaders” in each school instead. Some 26 primary teacher roles will also be lost.

David Baxter, branch secretary of the Dundee EIS, said there was no sound educational rationale for the move - which has already been adopted by other councils.

He said: "We are opening this ballot to seek the views of our members in relation to the council’s plans.

"It is already clear, from the feedback we are receiving every day from our representatives in schools, that teachers have very serious concerns about the implications of a move to faculties in secondary schools.

"In opening this ballot today, we are offering teachers the opportunity to let Dundee Council know how strong the opposition is to these damaging proposals.”

Mr Baxter said the move to faculties would remove specialists from school departments, leading to a significant loss of experience in key subjects.

He added: "This will have massive implications on workload for new faculty principal teachers and for class teachers alike.

"The loss of subject specialists will remove vital support for teachers and pupils, with serious implications for the quality of educational experience that can be offered in our schools."

READ MORE: Reduction in principal teachers 'a disaster for schools'

Stewart Hunter, convener of the council's education committee, previously said the plans would be phased in and job losses would not take the form of compulsory redundancies.

Mr Hunter said recently: "In common with every other council in Scotland, we want to introduce curriculum leaders who will cover a family of subjects with enhanced whole school leadership responsibility.

“This will be phased in over three years when opportunities arise and compulsory redundancies are not part of the plan.

“The new model will allow teachers to teach and give school managers more time to lead on the many complex issues associated with the day-to-day running of schools.

“Trade unions will now be consulted as plans to introduce the changes are developed and implemented.”