Headteachers lack the skills and experience to handle more autonomy for schools, according to consultation responses on Scottish government proposals.
There are also concerns that plans to devolve more power to schools would increase heads’ workloads and take their attention away from teaching and learning.
The Scottish government today published its analysis of nearly 900 responses to a consultation on its Education Bill, which includes a so-called headteachers’ charter designed to devolve more responsibilities to headteachers.
It analysis states: “While there was general support for the concept of headteacher empowerment, and some advantages of headteachers having increased freedom in relation to staffing decisions and school funding, there was some concern expressed that the introduction of the headteachers’ charter could increase headteachers’ workloads and lessen their focus on their core role of leading learning and teaching.
“Furthermore, there were concerns that headteachers lack the necessary skills or expertise to undertake some of the envisaged roles of the headteachers’ charter, particularly in relation to business management and staff recruitment.”
The report also identifies fears that possible “lack of expertise and capability of headteachers…could lead to limited thinking or poor plans on the part of an inexperienced headteacher, as well as the potential for loss of strategic focus”.
‘We need more teachers and more resources’
Another “key disadvantage” raised in the consultation was that, with newly empowered heads, “the recruitment process could be susceptible to bias as headteachers may recruit individuals they know rather than those most suited to a post”.
Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman Liz Smith MSP said that the Tories are “the biggest champions of school reform” but that the priorities of the SNP government’s bill - to be published in the autumn - are wrong.
“Specifically, there needs to be a wholesale move away from central control of education towards schools themselves,” said Ms Smith. “The SNP claims this is what it wants too but the imposition of large, top-heavy ‘regional collaboratives’ will do the opposite, leaving many local authorities unsure of the role they will have.”
She added: “Clear lines of responsibility and accountability do not, as yet, exist in the proposals, which is why this consultation is producing some very uncomfortable results for the SNP.”
Labour education spokesman Iain Gray said: “This analysis of this consultation shows that the Scottish government has failed to create a consensus for school reforms. Support is at best lukewarm and divided, and there is much scepticism of the need for legislation.”
He added: “The truth is everyone in the education sector knows that what our schools need is more teachers and more resources, not an Education Bill largely designed to make it look as if the SNP government is doing something.”
