A leading education union has accused Glasgow City Council of ‘failing pupils, parents and teachers’ as it presses ahead with planned cuts to staff numbers in schools.

NASUWT Scotland is calling on the council to reverse planned reductions in teaching posts across the city after a Freedom of Information (FOI) response confirmed that no risk assessments have taken place in relation to the proposals. Glasgow City Council has also confirmed that an Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) is still not yet complete.

The union’s national officer said that the revelations prove that councillors lacked “the full information” necessary when voting through the cuts.

NASUWT submitted an FOI request to Glasgow City Council asking it to release copies of any risk assessments or EQIAs “that have been completed in relation to the Council's plans to cut teacher posts and those plans’ impact on pupil and staff safety”.

In response, the council advised that it holds no information whatsoever regarding risk assessments, and that an EQIA in relation to teacher cuts “will be published on the Council website within the next 4 weeks and is currently undergoing final checks.”

The council has previously been criticised for pursuing education cuts without carrying out a full EQIA, particularly in relation to a major budget reduction for a city-wide mentoring scheme for vulnerable teenagers. The initial round of teacher cuts, which saw 172 posts removed, was already underway by the end of March this year, five months before the planned publication of the EQIA.

In an exclusive interview in April, the council’s education convener argued that the administration had been left with no choice but to make the cuts, insisting that funding reductions from central government meant that there was “just no other way to slice it this year.”

The Herald has previously revealed that dozens of schools face having only the headteacher out of class for some of the week if the council’s plans go ahead. The council subsequently suggested that partly-qualified teachers would be used to mitigate the problems.

The Glasgow City Parents Group has led a number of demonstrations opposing the council’s plans, including a March for Education in June.

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NASUWT has also pointed out that Glasgow already has some of the highest average primary class sizes in Scotland, with the figure for all seven primary school stages higher than the national average.

Leanne McGuire, Chair of the Glasgow City Parent Group, told The Herald that her organisation is "deeply concerned by the failure of the Glasgow City Council to conduct the necessary risk assessments on teacher numbers and to complete Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) before making significant educational decisions."

"These assessments should have been completed and made public well in advance and are not something you can complete after a decision is made. This shows a lack of respect for their public sector equality duty. Delays suggest serious oversight, raising concerns about prioritising teacher welfare and pupil support. Given that these budget decisions span over three years, we expect any further decisions to be carried out appropriately, ensuring that our children's education and wellbeing are prioritised in all decision-making processes."

Mike Corbett, NASUWT Scotland National Official, said: “NASUWT believes that this all demonstrates that councillors have not been provided with the full information they need in order to make a decision with such wide-ranging consequences. Furthermore, it shows a system that is already under strain and can ill-afford further cuts, especially to something as vital as teacher numbers.

“We are in formal dispute with Glasgow City Council over this matter and call on the Council to urgently review its ill-informed decision-making and reverse its damaging plans.”

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “A scoping equality impact assessment (EQIA) was published at the time of the council’s budget in February this year and the working EQIA document is available on our website.

“Glasgow has always advocated the benefit of meeting the individual needs of our children and we are meeting our statutory requirements in relation to class sizes – and as outlined in the EQIA.

“The NASUWT has taken until 14 June to raise their dispute.

“Our officers will continue to support our headteachers and their schools during the new school year.

“At every stage we will do everything we can to minimise any impact to schools but in the current financial climate the council must look at every option.”