Angus councillors have delivered a “let teachers teach” message over a Scottish government consultation on education excellence.
The wide-ranging review is looking at how education in Scotland is run, and seeking the views of teachers, parents and communities on issues including funding and decision-making.
But the consultation has been condemned as “deeply-flawed and unnecessary” by one senior councillor after a senior Angus official criticised the document as being framed around leading questions.
Fears have also been raised of a “creeping centralisation” of the nation’s education system.
In a council response agreed on by education committee members, Angus head of schools and learning, Pauline Stephen, said that it was difficult for the authority to give an informed response because of a lack of detail of what is being proposed.
“It would have been helpful to have greater clarity on the drivers for the changes proposed and how these contribute to the delivery of an overall educational improvement strategy,” she said.
“Considerable thought needs to be given to the transition to any new arrangements.
“Scotland needs a systemic approach to improvement that takes into account local context with a clear purpose to make a difference.”
Former headteacher and Montrose councillor David May said: “In my view this consultation is not only unnecessary, it is deeply flawed.
“Parents have clearly criticised it, as the wording of several questions meant they were unable to answer them, and parental consultation events left them puzzled and feeling excluded.
“The hint of regions is a move to creeping centralisation in schools, which has clearly not worked with the police and the fire service,” continued Mr May.
“The council response is spot on.
“I believe there are barriers in respect of achieving excellence, and these are cuts in school budgets, lack of teaching staff, the amount of bureaucracy and administration imposed on schools – the latter getting no better despite the repeated assurances about cutting it from successive education ministers.
“Furthermore, the move to the regions and the re-introduction of the flawed system of national tests will lead to a greater burden on bureaucracy.
“We need as a council to point out to the education minister that we are opposed to any move to centralise education and we reject national tests, and we should leave our teachers to get on with teaching.”
