Promise to give schools more powers on decision-making to close attainment gap
THE SNP has promised Scotland’s schools greater decision-making powers over how new funds aimed at closing the attainment gap are spent.
Its manifesto says that, if the party triumphs in next month’s Holyrood election, investment in efforts to reduce the difference in learning outcomes between poorer and better-off pupils will increase to £1 billion over the coming parliamentary term.
“We will make sure that schools themselves directly control how more of it is spent because they know best how to help individual pupils, including who needs individual tutoring and extra support,” the document adds.
It says an SNP government would “intensify” its approach to “empowering the teaching profession and ensuring that the decisions that affect the education of our children and young people are taken closest to them”.
The pledges come after recent research suggested progress to date in closing the poverty-related attainment gap had been slow and limited.
They also echo previous efforts by Deputy First Minister John Swinney to deliver an Education Bill that would have introduced a Headteachers’ Charter giving school leaders the power to set the curriculum, hire staff and control their own finances.
However, it was confirmed in 2019 that the legislation would be shelved amid opposition from unions and political opponents. Instead, Mr Swinney announced some of the proposals would be taken forward through an agreement with local authorities.
Larry Flanagan, EIS general secretary, said: “The EIS is not commenting on individual party manifestos as it is for our members to decide on how they wish to vote.
“The EIS manifesto makes clear, however, that we need to see an end to temporary funding streams which have served to create a precarious employment landscape with over 10 per cent of teacher posts being temporary. Action to cut class sizes and reduce teacher contact time would create a positive framework for supporting education recovery.”