SOME of the world’s leading education experts are to lend their expertise to help improve Scotland’s schools.

A leading US educationalist, advisors to the Finnish and Canadian governments and a former chief schools inspector have been appointed to the new International Council of Education Advisers.

The panel of 10 will advise on the Government’s priorities for education, closing the attainment gap, achieving equity and system reform.

The panel has been compared to Alex Salmond’s Council of Economic Advisers, established in 2007 in an attempt to position Scotland among the world’s most competitive economies.

The move comes ahead of the announcement of a panel of teachers to help shape the programme to reduce workload and monitor its impact.

Among the teacher panel’s first tasks will be to consider ideas the Scottish Government has invited from teaching unions to improve teacher workloads. Both groups will meet for the first time next month.

The International Panel members have extensive experience advising educators and governments on leadership, school improvement and reform in countries including the US, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Malaysia, Australia and the UK.

They include Professor Andy Hargreaves of Boston College, an advisor to the Premier of Ontario who consults extensively with governments across the world and was last year ranked the sixth most influential scholar on US education policy.

Professor Graham Donaldson, who spent over 40 years in education, was chief executive of Scottish Inspectorate (HMIE) and Chief Professional Advisor on education to the Scottish Government from 2002 until 2010, while Finnish educator and policy advisor Dr Pasi Sahlberg is currently a visiting professor at Harvard University and worked with governments in Europe, Central Asia, North America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

Professor Bob Davis, the former head of the School of Education at Glasgow University, described the panel as "a first class team".

He said: "It's a blend of people from national and international backgrounds; leaders with proven track records on collaborative educational change and improvement; strong policy and research focus."

"It's great to see Andy Hargreaves, an insightful an robustly critical friend of Scottish education. And Avis Glaze who drives excellence based on teacher expertise.

"There is a need to maintain a concentration on *pedagogical* reform and assessment, especially in literacy and numeracy.

"In 1979 there were around 10,000 professional development events in Scotland showcasing latest research and inviting teachers to a dialogue on it. Today we have a fraction on that."

Education Secretary John Swinney, said: “I have set out the actions we will take to substantially close the attainment gap and deliver a world-class education system in Scotland.

"This work will be informed and shaped by leaders in the profession and lessons learned elsewhere.

“The International Council of Education Advisers will bring a global perspective from highly qualified educators with expertise shaping and delivering education reforms around the world. The teacher panel will ensure our plans are informed by the views of practitioners who work in our schools every day. Both will challenge and scrutinise our plans for education and ensure we consider the best evidence and expertise from our classrooms and around the world. I look forward to meeting both panels next month.”

The First Minister will appoint the chair of the panel at its first meeting, with Mr Swinney taking the position on the teacher group. Both panels are expected to meet twice a year.