Questions remain on education plans

HERE is no question Scotland is currently in the throes of a fundamental debate about the way its schools should be run.

At the heart of this debate is the Scottish Government’s Governance Review which seeks to establish how education should be managed in future and where responsibility should lie in relation to key decisions on education and funding. Right now there are as many questions as answers on these crucial issues.

The Scottish Government’s position is clear, if a little simplistic. At the start of the consultation, John Swinney, the Education Secretary, said his guiding principle was that decisions should be taken at school level. It seems difficult to argue against this basic principle, but in recent weeks we have heard from a growing number of interested parties who have raised significant concerns about the unintended consequences of this seemingly innocent statement.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is the latest to join the fray by highlighting the cautionary tale of Sweden, which introduced a significant devolution of control to schools in the 1990s, but saw a marked decline in standards. The RSE also said the Swedish example saw headteachers becoming bogged down with bureaucracy.

There is further concern from the Chartered Institute of Public Financial Management (CIPFM) which said schools could be exposed to significant financial risks without the support of councils.

There is another factor at play. Research by the Times Educational Supplement Scotland, which looked at the numbers of support staff in Scottish schools, found only classroom assistants appear to have increased since 2007.

There has been a decline in school-based staff in almost every other category, including administrative and clerical staff and additional support needs staff.

As CIPFM and others have pointed out, if schools are to manage their own finances then staff will need the relevant skills and expertise, but numbers of administration staff have declined from 5,237 to 4,200. Schools will also need appropriate support from the very groups of professionals whose numbers have seen such a marked reduction since 2007.

And the RSE’s submission to the Scottish Government is not just interesting for the remarks it makes about Sweden. It also warns the Scottish Government has not made clear how the proposed changes will lead to improved educational outcomes, adding: “There is a significant risk that, without this necessary strategic clarity, reform of school governance structures will divert focus, energy and resource away from the overarching attainment priorities.”

It is clear from recent international surveys that Scottish education could be improved, but there are strong indications the impact of cuts is delivering a drag on quality rather than the management of local authorities.

It is also clear that the case for significant structural change in Scottish schools as a mechanism to deliver the required improvement has not yet been made in the eyes of some of the country’s foremost academics.