CONTROVERSIAL plans to axe special needs teachers and shut down a children's home have given the green light by education chiefs.

The Evening Press revealed last week that four teachers who advise schools across the city on how to look after youngsters with special needs could lose their jobs as a result of budget cutbacks.

Councillors voted in favour of the proposals at a meeting of City of York Council education bosses last night.

Children's services chief, Carol Runciman, said it had been an "exceptionally difficult" decision.

The job cuts will save the council £78,000 a year.

The post of a special needs administrative assistant will also be axed, saving a further £18,000.

The four teachers wrote to the panel, pleading with them to spare their jobs, but without success. They are due to be made redundant on April 30.

Steve Pain, regional officer for the Professional Association of Teachers, said: "Those four teachers provide support for more than 400 children each year. They have skills to help children make much better progress with their education.

"Their line manager describes them as 'superb teachers doing a great job'. Those children with learning difficulties will be deprived of the specialist help they need. It appears this decision has been made simply on a matter of funding. The lives of children will suffer without that expert help."

Councillors also gave the go-ahead to plans to shut one of York's two remaining children's homes, meaning a further 14 jobs could be lost - although the council would be looking to redeploy some staff in the home that remained open.

The Evening Press reported last month that about 34 people who work at the homes in Bismarck Street, off Leeman Road, and Wenlock Terrace, off Fulford Road, had been told about the city council's proposals to close one of the facilities.

The homes cater for 12 youngsters, and currently there are nine on the books, with three youngsters at the Bismarck Street home.

The closure would save the council £164,000 next year, and £226,000 each subsequent year.

The council is still awaiting confirmation of central Government's grant for next year.

The final figure is expected to be announced at the end of this month, and special needs staff and the children's home could be offered a last minute reprieve if it is dramatically increased.

But the council's head of finance, Richard Hartle, said: "York's local government grant for 2006-2007 is £37.1million, an increase of 3.2 per cent. Considering the additional pressures faced by every service department in the council, this is a poor settlement for York, and means that to deliver a balanced budget savings of around £5million will need to be made."

Following our story on Monday about the teachers' job cuts, we have been asked to point out that city council leader Steve Galloway has not had any direct contact with the area teachers, nor has he made any comment about their specific situation.

He said the possibility of schools being given the opportunity to fund the posts directly was being investigated.

Updated: 09:30 Thursday, January 19, 2006