ANY extra money for schools will go mainly to disadvantaged communities, Jack McConnell, the First Minister, pledged this week in his first foray into education for more than a year.

Addressing a breakfast meeting of headteachers, union officials and education directors in Glasgow, Mr McConnell outlined a twin approach to core funding for schools: heads will have more control over key resources and any extra will go to those who need it most.

The First Minister told an invited audience: “If we are going to be serious about closing the gap and serious about making sure every child achieves their potential, we are going to have to do something about resources between those schools in areas of traditional low attainment, and the others. I do not think people would object to that.”

The new community schools initiative, with features such as breakfast clubs, was already moving in that direction and future targeting would ensure more resources for schools where children did not have the family support they needed. He underlined his commitment by earlier visiting Hills Trust primary in Govan and munching a bowl of Rice Crispies - an apparently nourishing start to the day.

Outlining his approach to core funding, Mr McConnell said officials were still working on a system to allow heads more budget control and release them from ring-fenced allocations. Further funds may be based on a school’s assessment of need and its plan for spending on its priorities. They would not need to account for every allocation.

“I’m sure that would be widely welcomed,” Mr McConnell said.

New money would be targeted on new ideas and developments. Ministerial discussions during the comprehensive spending review had centred on funding initiatives such as extra music and other out of school activities. These made a huge difference to the climate of schools. But he declined to spell out precise plans.

In what turned out to be a pre-Scottish election manifesto, Mr McConnell re-emphasised the administration’s determination to “close the gap” and ensure quality education for every child “regardless of their postcode or their family circumstances”.

That would mean departing from the standard curriculum and offering more choice and diversity. “Our children have many abilities and many talents. Some will excel in academic achievement. Others will show their potential in music or sport or drama. Others will be problem-solvers, helping to make the world work,” he said.

The First Minister welcomed the new flexibility for modern languages and the introduction of vocational education courses in S3 and S4 to improve motivation among disaffected pupils. “We know the curriculum doesn’t work for all our children, so why not maximise its flexibility?” he ventured.

He repeated his mantra that the “one size fits all” school is now gone, although he distanced himself from Labour initiatives south of the border which are creating significant structural differences between schools. “I am not interested in having a few schools with centres of excellence. My goal is for every school in Scotland to be excellent,” he said.

In a fresh departure, Mr McConnell surprised his audience by suggesting class size cuts in S1-S2 rather than in primary. “Additional adults in a class in primary school can be a benefit and is not too disruptive for the class of 30 but somebody additional in secondary is disruptive. Having a smaller class size would be better than having more adults,” he said.

However, the First Minister insisted this should be a debate for the education service and not a political issue prior to May’s elections.

As ever, Mr McConnell promised to be tough on underperforming schools and local authorities and stressed a revised role for HMI which would target its expertise where it was needed most. Authorities were reminded of their duty to act against struggling schools, set high standards and monitor progress.

Leader, page 24

JACK’S PLUSES

* The largest investment in school buildings and equipment for 50 years.

* McCrone deal removed “one of the most complicated, inflexible and bureaucratic set of conditions of service” in Europe.

* Action on school discipline.

* Nursery places for every three and four-year-old.

* National priorities to cut central initiatives.

* Reduced assessment in Higher Still courses