Protest in Inverness against classroom support shake-up

Protestors gathered outside Highland Council's headquarters

School pupils have led a protest in Inverness against changes to additional support needs provision in Highlands classrooms.

Highland Council has begun a three-year "phased approach" to reducing numbers of additional support needs teachers (ASNs) and pupil support assistants.

It said children would continue to get "appropriate levels of support".

But pupils, parents and carers are concerned some children currently receiving support will lose that help.

The protest was held outside Highland Council's headquarters.

• Campaigns oppose school support staff cuts

• Council begins shake-up of school jobs

Skye Hawkins is concerned about the impact on young people who need support at school

One of the organisers, Skye Hawkins, 17, from Cannich, said she was concerned about level of support she and others would receive in the future.

She said: "I have been in the support system for three years now and when I heard that it could potentially be cut back on the amount of staff I just thought 'how drastically will this impact on the kids?'

"There are already kids who cannot attend school because they don't get the support they need.

"I myself was off sick because I didn't get the support that I needed."

Amiebeth Ross, 18, from Drumnadrochit, and another of the protest's organisers, has had support since first year at secondary school.

She said: "Without the teachers' encouragement I wouldn't be in school, or I wouldn't be in very much."

Amiebeth Ross has had support since she started secondary school

Highland Council's leader Margaret Davidson praised the young people for drawing attention to the issue, and made an offer to talk to the protestors in the council's HQ.

She said it was unlikely pupils who need it would lose support.

Ms Davidson said: "If you get an assessed need and need ASN support then you will get it."

She the re-design of the service was part of the council's efforts to get it finances in order.

Council leader Margaret Davidson said it was unlikely pupils would lose support

The row has also seen hundreds of pupil support assistants (PSAs) being sent consultative ballot papers on potential industrial action by their union, GMB Scotland.

Highland Council, which has sought to make savings of £700,000 this year in classroom support including by having 63 fewer PSAs, said it was committed to avoiding redundancies.

It said a training programme to help ASNs take up other teaching roles and for PSAs to find work in new roles in early learning and childcare was in development.

Last month, the local authority said it had the highest reported levels of ASNs in Scotland.

It spends £36.1m on its ASN budget to support 1,253 full-time equivalent jobs.

The local authority said it currently has 13,461 pupils who have been identified as having a need for at least one ASN.

Friday's protest involved young people, parents and carers