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SNP councillor Euan Hyslop has put forward a motion to the city’s education committee asking council officers to present data on how many students are on reduced timetables. It also asks for data on why pupils are placed on them, and any information available on what timetable exists for getting them back to full-time education. It comes after an investigation found that over 1,100 pupils in Edinburgh are on reduced timetables. Some 140 primary pupils, including many with additional support needs, and 978 more secondary students are on the reduced schedules. While part-time education can be effective if correctly monitored and applied, there are fears it is being used as a method for schools without resources to meet the needs of some pupils. Don’t miss out on the Capital’s biggest stories with our daily newsletter, which highlights the latest news. From breaking news to crime, business, local politics, sport and more. And teachers and union leaders have warned that the issue may go deeper, with concerns that a number of ‘ghost pupils’ are registered at schools but never attend. Cllr Hyslop previously said that, if pupils were on reduced timetables at such a scale, it would be ‘incredibly concerning’. He continued: “Councillors have a duty to respond to the challenges facing our education system here in the city and to drive forward the educational wellbeing and attainment of all young people. “It’s very difficult to do that if information is not being recorded properly and if we don’t have the full picture regarding pupil attendance.” One student whose parents spoke to the investigation was found to be registered as attending school full-time, but only received a half-hour of teaching per week. And another was reportedly only in school for two-thirds of the day, despite being recorded as being a full-time student. Cllr Hyslop’s motion will be heard at the next meeting of the Education, Children and Families Committee on Tuesday, November 4.
