MAJOR reforms of Scotland’s schools system that see headteachers secure sweeping new powers will exacerbate education inequality, according to a group of university lecturers.

The overhaul aimed at closing the attainment gap was unveiled by Education Secretary John Swinney last month. He said they would “put the power to directly change lives into the hands of those with the expertise and insight to target resources at the greatest need”.

Central to the proposals is a plan to make headteachers responsible for raising attainment and closing the gap between the richest and poorest pupils.

However in a letter to The Herald, 13 university lecturers who specialise in education warn that the SNP flagship policy will instead “disempower, exacerbate education inequality and do nothing to address social injustice”.

The strongly worded letter, signed by senior staff from eight universities, suggests a lack of wider social and economic reform means “schools are being set up to fail and take the responsibility for it”.

One of the signatories, Dr Jim Crowther, senior lecturer in community education at Edinburgh University, said: “The plan claims to be about empowering teachers, parents and communities, but it’s clearly nonsense.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Ministers have made clear that, not only will they give headteachers more power, but they will give them more money to make the changes needed to improve education.”