School week 'uncertainty' brought to an end

A Scottish council has agreed to drop plans to switch to a four-and-a-half day school week following consultation.

The local authority in Dumfries and Galloway decided to maintain the current five-day week instead.

Council leader Gail Macgregor said the issue had dragged on for several years and a final decision would be welcomed by everyone.

A full evaluation will be carried out to see if any lessons can be learned from the lengthy consultation which was carried out.

The move was being considered as part of plans to modernise teaching provision across Dumfries and Galloway.

More than half of parents who took part in a survey on the subject were against the move.

Ms Macgregor said it had been important to decide the issue once and for all.

"It had been dragging on for about five years now," said Ms Macgregor.

"It was absolutely incumbent on us to put this to bed one way or another.

"The uncertainty around it is actually what causes greater anxiety."

The local branch of the teaching union the Educational Institute of Scotland said it felt the right decision had been reached.

It said there were "too many unanswered questions" for the proposals to be rolled out across the region.