Shake-up plans for council’s education services
New partnership efforts
Education services in Perth and Kinross are set for a shake-up which could see them working more closely with other councils.
Key areas, from the delivery of modern languages, to helping to tackle intergenerational poverty, are all being considered as part of the partnership effort with Dundee and Angus councils.
Council chiefs have been in talks with their counterparts about closer relationships for some time and have also identified it could boost the delivery of their services, including from sharing expertise and ‘streamlining’ of structures.
The moves fit in with wider efforts to improve standards for children through various policies, as well as see more local control over the direction of education.
Tomorrow’s full council meeting will hear of the proposed next steps, which will also include partnering with NHS Tayside and other groups, to come up with a strategy for the future.
Papers show that education and children’s services representatives are working towards having similar or a shared models of working or delivery.
A new panel is expected to be in place in the coming months to help deliver the aims of the collaboration.
Report author and education director Sheena Devlin concludes: “To achieve the strategic collaboration outlined in this report, a genuine partnership approach will be essential.
“The onus will be on strategic leadership and the ability to recognise the added value that strategic collaboration will bring to local effort and initiatives.
“By consulting and listening to a range of perspectives the collaborative will be able to drive improvement and improve outcomes.
“There is no reason why this cannot be at pace but it must be done in conjunction with elected members, staff groups, young people, parents and carers and trade unions. A report similar to this one is being considered at the relevant committee in other council areas and by NHS Tayside.
“By the end of 2017/18, sufficient experience and evidence will have been gained to allow the partners to take stock of progress and improvement in outcomes and make recommendations on the efficacy of the new approaches to collaboration.”