In another blow to music education, Scotland’s national conservatoire is to cut jobs to plug a hole in its budget of more than pound;500,000.

Staff at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow have been told there will be a small number of compulsory redundancies and a move from full-time to part-time contracts for some staff. A voluntary severance scheme has also been offered.

Students from the woodwind and brass departments have written to John Wallace, the head of the institution, to protest against a proposal to merge the two departments.