PUPILS at Hermitage Academy, and schools across Argyll and Bute, have held a protest over plans to slash the budget for the local authority's adult and youth learning services team.

The protest was organised after a list of 'savings options' produced by council officials suggested cutting more than half of the service's budget – a move which would result in the loss of more than 17 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts.

When the proposal was made public in December it sparked the launch of an online petition which attracted 600 signatures in just three days – a figure which has since risen to 1,037 at the time this article was published.

READ MORE: Petition warns of "catastrophic" effect from proposed youth services cuts

The Hermitage Academy protest is set to take place at 11.20am on Wednesday, following the school's morning interval.

Rosie Sumsion, the member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for Helensburgh and Lomond and a Hermitage Academy pupil, said: "The work of Youth Services has been an incredible presence in Helensburgh so we have many pupils eager to participate.

"This is just one part of a wider demonstration across Argyll and Bute with many other schools carrying out protests on the same day."

The 'savings option' suggests cutting £330,000 from the youth and adult learning services team's budget, with the loss of 17.1 FTE posts – 57 per cent of the team.

READ MORE: Council tax WILL rise by almost 5 per cent in Argyll and Bute

The full list of savings options will be considered by councillors at Argyll and Bute's annual budget meeting on Thursday.

Opposition councillors have already said they would not go ahead with the proposal to reduce the youth and adult learning services budget, but the authority's ruling administration has yet to reveal whether it backs the idea.

The petition states: "While we appreciate the council has a duty to deliver on core services, we believe that the programmes provided by Youth Services are vital to our communities and these cuts will have a detrimental effect.

"Opportunities such as Youth Forums, Scottish Youth Parliament, Newbies, Young Leaders, holiday programmes, the GIVE volunteering programme, involvement training, wider achievement opportunities like Duke of Edinburgh, DYA, YAAs, Fire Skills and general support and opportunities could all be affected.

"This not only affects young people but the adults who benefit from such services as well."

The petition can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/policy-and-resource-committee-save-adult-and-youth-services-from-council-cuts