THE leader of the Scottish Greens has claimed there has been a dramatic fall in the number of pupils taking music lessons in East Lothian schools after fees were introduced.

Education officials have been ordered to report back to East Lothian councillors on the new term uptake of instrumental lessons in the wake of allegations it has fallen by 70 per cent.

And SNP councillors warned that if the drop was “even close” to that level then the decision to introduce a £280 charge had to be reversed.

Ruling Labour councillors said that the blame for the charges was the SNP-run Scottish Government’s and its “austerity cuts”.

Last month, East Lothian Council introduced fees for instrumental music lessons for pupils.

Patrick Harvie MSP, co-convener of the Scottish Greens, has claimed that the numbers signing up this school year had fallen in the county from more than 1,200 last year to just 350.

However Fiona Robertson, head of education at the local authority, told a meeting of its cabinet on September 11 that it was too early to give a final figure.

At the time of that meeting, registration for classes was still ongoing after the deadline for students had been extended.

Mrs Robertson said at the meeting: “The assessment of new pupils’ uptake of instrumental music classes is still ongoing, it will be another fortnight. I cannot give an accurate figure at this time.”

A report to the council’s cabinet in June had estimated that fees would generate £240,000 – the equivalent of 860 pupils paying the full £280 annual fee for the current session.

It said there were previously 1,210 pupils taking free instrumental music classes in East Lothian.

National surveys had suggested that introducing charges would only lead to a fall in uptake of about 16 per cent.

Councillor Stuart Currie, leader of the SNP Group on East Lothian Council, said action would need to be taken if the figures reported by the Scottish Greens were “even close” to the reality.

He said: “I am hearing from parents at the schools I visit that numbers are sharply down on last year and it sounds like significantly more than the 16 per cent predicted by the council administration.

“If these figures are even close to the actual position then the administration needs to come back to the council and reverse its decision. The SNP Group would be prepared to give them the two-thirds majority required.

“I sincerely hope that there has not been this shocking reduction in children taken instrumental music tuition but if there has then it will be a failure of policy that must be reversed.”

Councillor Shamin Akhtar (Lab), the local authority’s cabinet spokesperson for education, highlighted that the fees helped the council continue the service – and that there were exemptions and discounts in place to help eligible families.

She said: “Our focus is on continuing to provide high-quality instrumental music tuition and developing the service for the benefit of pupils. This service is in addition to the music curriculum taught more generally in the classroom.

“Our instructors are currently in the process of supporting the registration process for the new session, including the admission of pupils taking up an instrument for the first time. I look forward to watching many of them perform in school concerts and at other events in the years ahead.”

And she added: “The SNP councillors in East Lothian have to be reminded that it is their government that have been imposing austerity cuts onto our county. Over the past five years the council has had to make cuts of £25 million. On this issue everyone should be asking what have SNP councillors been doing to stand up for our county?”

Councillor Willie Innes (Lab), council leader, called on the education department to update councillors on the position.

Mr Innes said: “There has been significant public interest in this item and I would ask a report comes to the next council meeting.”