MINISTERS are consulting on further plans to bypass councils over school funding.

The Scottish Government has already announced proposals to set up regional bodies to take over local authority work to support improvement.

Now an official consultation on future spending has asked parents, pupils and teachers to consider giving money directly to the regional structures.

The consultation states: “What would be the advantages of an approach where the current system of funding schools is largely retained, but with a greater proportion of funding allocated directly to schools, clusters or regional improvement collaboratives?”

John Swinney, the Education Secretary, said the way local authorities currently used budgets was complex and lacked transparency.

The Scottish Government has outlined two options for future funding as part of major reforms to Scotland’s school system.

The first would involve using a proposed new statutory Headteachers’ Charter to have a Scotland-wide approach to devolving money to schools.

This would agree the proportion of funds going directly to schools and create consistent formulas for councils in the distribution of cash.

The second option, which could be used in conjunction with the first, is to increase ring-fenced funding given directly to schools based on need.

This approach is based on the new Pupil Equity Fund which the government uses to distribute £120 million to headteachers based on pupil deprivation.

Mr Swinney said: “We want far more decisions on school funding to be in the hands of those with the expertise and insight to target resources at the greatest need."

Meanwhile, the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association warned the changes could worsen the headteacher recruitment crisis because it would make the job unmanageable. There was also concern reducing council power would remove long-established support systems.