SWEEPING new powers for headteachers and a shake-up of the system for monitoring and improving standards in Scottish schools show John Swinney responding to concerns over Scottish education.
There are questions to be asked about the use of international Pisa rankings and literacy and numeracy results to highlight failings in our education system. But there is no doubt the education secretary and the first minister, who have both staked their reputations on driving up standards in schools, are now under pressure to deliver. Will these reforms convince the Scottish Government’s critics?
For some, the effective excision of local authorities from the management of schools will be evidence of the SNP’s centralising tendencies. Mr Swinney says councils will “retain a vital role” but this is barely credible. Their involvement will be to manage HR and other back office services. They will continue to appoint headteachers, but once in post, those heads will have huge autonomy. Councils will provide some support services, but these will be overseen by new regional collaborative bodies answerable to the Education Scotland.
The success of these changes will depend to a considerable degree on the response of headteachers and prospective heads. Mr Swinney says consultations have shown headteachers do not want to become “chief administrators” and want instead to concentrate on improving learning and teaching. Will school leaders welcome legal responsibility for closing the attainment gap and raising standards, with enthusiasm? This role, and the willingness of would-be heads to accept it is plainly crucial.
The new regional bodies – Mr Swinney envisages six or seven – will be responsible for providing support to heads to improve standards. His thinking appears to be that these bodies will provide more consistent support to schools than 32 disparate local authorities – and be easier to hold to account if they do not.
Is this evidence of a centralising, controlling mentality? Mr Swinney can argue he is instead devolving power and responsibility directly to the frontline, to heads, teachers, parents and pupils. He has rejected “well intentioned” calls from some groups of parents for fully autonomous schools. But rather than holding councils accountable for underperformance at the ballot box, parents will now be able to take complaints straight to their local school, with heads liable if standards drop.
It is clear some education authorities have struggled to raise standards, or raise them fast enough, for the government’s liking. It is arguable to what extent this is their fault, or brought about by external factors, such as massive pressures on council budgets. But this is a high risk approach. Mr Swinney’s new strategy will absorb energies in the sector and necessitate more turmoil at a time when what schools could do with is a period of stability. It needs to deliver.
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