I agree with your leader comment that the proposed compulsory headteacher qualification should not be the only criterion for selection to headship posts in Scottish schools ("Qualifications must not deter potential headteachers", November 19).
Whenever a proposal such as this comes from Holyrood I believe one has to examine the political motivation. It is clear to me this is yet another form of centralisation. By designing and creating this headteacher qualification, the Government is effectively cloning the next generation of school leaders.
In employing this clever device the Scottish Government will find it easier to control the homogeneous body politic of headteachers as they will already know the detailed structure they were trained to adhere to and believe in.
Many headteachers have historically been appointed when they were relatively young, thus freezing promotion prospects for deputies who are understandably often left frustrated by the blockage. Having gained the proposed paper qualification they will be even more discouraged if advancement is slow.
Rather than pandering to the theoretical culture of academe, the Government money for this scheme could have a more productive focus. It could be used in allowing current deputies experience through secondment to vacant headteacher posts for a year or so to demonstrate their leadership potential.
The evaluation and monitoring of how effective they were – and validate the appointment permanently if they wish it – could be in the hands of a small panel of serving headteachers.
Bill Brown,
46 Breadie Drive,
Milngavie.
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