Views sought on education reforms ahead of bill

Proposals to give Scottish schools more freedom to make choices about curriculum, improvement, and funding at school level, and over teaching staff and management structure, are being consulted on by the Scottish Government ahead of a bill to be brought before the Holyrood Parliament next year.

The Education (Scotland) Bill will create "a school and teacher-led education system", the paper states. A headteachers’ charter will set out the rights and responsibilities of headteachers, "empowering them to be the leaders of learning in their schools". The bill will also improve parental and community engagement in school life and in learning outside of school, and strengthen the voice of children and young people, by actively promoting and supporting pupil participation.

It will also provide for the establishment of regional improvement collaboratives, which will provide professional learning and leadership, support in both curriculum and specific sectors, sharing of good practice, and peer to peer collaboration, among other responsibilities; and enable registration of other educational professionals with an Education Workforce Council, which will establish professional standards for other education professionals within the workforce.

However concerns have been expressed by teachers' organisations at the potential level of bureaucratic responsibilities the plans may place on headteachers, though Education Secretary John Swinney has stepped back from imposing specific responsibilities in relation to closing the attainment gap.

Mr Swinney commented: “There is already much to be celebrated within our education system but radical reform is required to make the improvements we all want to see. The consultation on the Education (Scotland) Bill will ensure that everyone with an interest in how our young people learn and develop will have an opportunity to contribute to the future of education in Scotland.

“The reforms to be taken forward through the bill are all based on the presumption that decisions about children’s learning and school life should be taken at school level."

Offering a cautious welcome to the proposals, Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland, said: "While it is early in the process, this review provides an opportunity for a more constructive and consensual approach to education to be re-established which would be a positive step for schools, teachers and pupils.” 

COSLA, the local authorities' organisation, accused Mr Swinney of removing democratic accountability from the school system.

Click here to access the consultation. The closing date for responses is 30 January 2018.