PUPILS in scores of small primary schools could be taught by unqualified staff in September as schools struggle to cope with a law giving teachers time away from the classroom.

The warning has come from opposition parties at County Hall in Maidstone who say the Government has failed to put enough money into funding for the introduction of what is known as “workforce reform".

From September, every teacher will be allowed “non-contact” time to allow them more time to prepare lessons and for administration.

KCC has estimated the costs to all of its schools could be as much as £10million, chiefly to pay for additional staff cover.

But it says it has been allocated just £4.3million in its education budget from the Government to meet the costs.

Cllr Martin Vye (Lib Dem) said the money the Government had allocated represented about £30 per pupil. He knew of one small primary school that would get about £3,600 as a result but had calculated it needed £14,000 to employ additional staff.

“The school will have to cut back on other essential expenditure to give its teachers the non-contact time they are entitled to.”

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Trudy Dean said the shortfall would jeopardise KCC’s push to improve standards.

“Many schools will end up breaking the law or pupils will be taught by unqualified staff," she stressed. "That is unacceptable."

Cllr Paul Carter, KCC's cabinet member for education, said he recognised the difficulties schools faced but it was the Government’s responsibility to properly fund the legislation.

“You do not have to be a rocket scientist to work out the impact of that, particularly on small and medium-sized schools. The shortfall is enormous and we have a major job to do in badgering the Government to give us much more,” he said.

Peter Vokes, Kent NUT representative, said the irony was that teachers could end up spending their non-contact time preparing lesson material for teaching assistants.

He also said there was “anecdotal evidence” emerging that indicated some schools were considering asking staff to give up their entitlement.

“Some schools have simply said they will not do it. We are in favour of the reform but not if it means that children are not being taught but supervised by non-professional staff,” he added.