Huge variation in hours of state education across Scotland

Children in some parts of Scotland receive up to two years less teaching time than others, it has been revealed.

Research by think-tank Reform Scotland has shown a huge variation in the amount of teaching time offered by state schools across Scotland’s local authorities.

The report, drawn up from Freedom of Information requests, shows a difference of up to 149 hours per year in primary and  245 in secondary schools.

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Aberdeenshire Council and West Dunbartonshire Council offer the most teaching time in Scotland, with 1,000 hours per year in primary school and 1,100 hours per year in secondary school.

By contrast, Moray offers the least primary school time, at 851 hours, although the council has indicated this is only for P1-3 pupils. Dundee and Midlothian offer 855 hours of secondary school teaching.

Reform Scotland said it does not object to variations, but called for more transparency from local authorities.

“We seriously doubt, for example, that many parents in Dundee will realise that their children will receive the equivalent of two years less teaching time than their peers just up the road in Aberdeenshire,” said Reform Scotland’s research director Alison Payne.

“This is unfair, unequal and wrong, because it prevents parents from making choices with the full information in mind.”

Earlier this year, a number of councils including West Dunbartonshire proposed to cut hours from the primary school week in a bid to make budget savings, but it was met with public outcry and subsequently dropped.