Scotland’s Education Minister Shirley-Anne Somerville is preparing to intervene to prevent local councils from cutting teacher ranks.
The BBC understands Ms Somerville is considering options and is likely to announce action within days.
It is also intended to prevent the number of school hours being reduced.
It follows reports that several local authorities, including the SNP-led Glasgow City Council, are considering cuts to education to help balance their budgets.
The move is expected to spark a major row between the Scottish Government and councils over the level of funding and where the power lies.
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Local government agency Cosla had expressed “deep concern” at this year’s cash allocation by the Scottish Government.
It has warned of a significant funding gap that would have “adverse effects on essential local services” and result in job losses.
Tax hikes are widely expected as councils set their budgets in the coming weeks.
Ministers have made some extra money available to councils but price inflation and recent public sector pay deals have put the Scottish Government’s finances under pressure.
The BBC understands ministers are concerned hundreds of apprenticeships could be axed as councils seek to cut costs.
This would run counter to the SNP’s election manifesto of increasing the number of teachers and assistants in Scotland by at least 3,500 before the next election.
It could also open a new front in the current industrial dispute between teachers’ unions and their local governments over pay, which has led to a series of strikes.
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Last year the Scottish Government provided £145m to help councils maintain and expand teaching staff.
Despite this, the annual statistics for 2022 published in December showed that the total number of teachers fell by 92 to 54,193 compared to the previous year.
Ministers have previously used earmarking to protect spending in certain areas. They also have statutory powers to direct educational boards in certain circumstances.
Last week in Holyrood, Conservative leader Douglas Ross said he was “deeply concerned” at the threat of teacher cuts in Glasgow and elsewhere.
When he asked the First Minister how many teachers across Scotland would lose their jobs, Nicola Sturgeon didn’t give an exact figure.
Ms Sturgeon said she respected the “autonomy of democratically elected institutions”.
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