Local authority control of schools is under threat from the creation of Scotland's newest education quango, teachers' leaders have warned.
Unions say the founding of the Education Scotland quango by the Scottish Government has created a body that has unrivalled power over education.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), the country's largest teaching union, said the creation of the body paved the way for ministerial intervention in the running of schools by local authorities.
Education Scotland was set up in August as a Government agency to improve school standards. It was formed from the merger of HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE), which inspects schools, and Learning and Teaching Scotland, which develops classroom materials and provides school support.
The roles were deliberately kept separate by former Scottish Labour education minister Jack McConnell in 2001 to prevent undue influence by HMIE on what was being taught.
Ronnie Smith, EIS general secretary, told The Herald the Government could exert significant influence over education at local level through the new body. He said: "If you look at this powerhouse of Education Scotland, you are not far away from being able to remove completely, or at least greatly diminish, what local authority functions are in relation to schools.
"It can all be run from the centre, from inspections to curriculum material, leaving councils with little to influence.
"The creation of Education Scotland gives you the infrastructure that could replace council administration, with its 32 education directorates and the officials working away at quality improvement, curriculum development and professional development."
Mr Smith said concerns over the running of education by councils had made him less worried about the prospect of them losing control.
"If we felt we had good strong local authorities that were really looking after school and education we would be right behind them," he said. "However, all I have watched is a diminution of the role of education in the local authority scheme of things."
Ann Ballinger, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association, said: "We would not be too unhappy about removing education from local authority control because we believe too many are managed by people who have little understanding of the reality and the importance of education."
Ken Cunningham, general secretary of School Leaders Scotland, which represents secondary headteachers, said the new body could deliver significant improvements if it worked with schools and councils.
"The danger is that the nature of Education Scotland will be determined by the direction from the management and the development of the internal values, ethos and culture," he said. "The signs are good, but the jury is still out on its capacity to deliver in this way.
John Stodter, general secretary of the Association of Directors of Education Scotland, also stressed the importance of collaboration.
"The bigger danger for Education Scotland is that it may lack the capacity to deliver all it aspires to, but, crucially it will succeed only in full partnership with locally based colleagues who relate directly to schools in assessing the quality of provision and promoting improvement for which they have a legal responsibility under the Education Scotland 200 Act," he said.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Scotland's local authorities play a pivotal role in improving education and the life chances of each and every learner in Scotland.
"Education Scotland was created to complement the work of councils by helping to deliver a stronger focus on performance, raise attainment and ambition for all our children and young people, and continue to roll out Curriculum for Excellence."
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