A teachers’ union has warned of a “turf war” breaking out between minsters and councils over the SNP’s education reforms.
John Swinney, the Education Secretary, put transferring more power to headteachers at the heart of his school governance review in a statement to MSPs today.
Labour said the plans smack of the Tories’ academisation programme, which allows schools to break free from local authority control.
Mr Swinney said it is “not part of my plan that schools should opt out of local authority control”.”
“My plans are about ensuring that schools are part of the democratic fibre and fabric of Scottish society and that they operate in the local authority context,” he said.
“But I also want to ensure that the school leadership of Scotland is able to take the decisive decisions that will transform the life chances of young people.”
Iain Gray, for Scottish Labour, said Mr Swinney had “refused to rule out a return to the discredited Tory policy of letting schools opt out of local authority control”.
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of EIS, Scotland’s biggest teachers’ union, said he is satisfied the SNP Government does not intend to “mimic the disasters of UK policy in terms of academies or free schools”.
But he warned against clashes between ministers and councils.
He said: “The focus of any governance review should be on how teaching and learning can be supported more effectively, rather than evolving into a turf war between the Scottish Government and local authorities.”
Mr Swinney announced the review into how schools are run as he confirmed the introduction of new education regions to “support collaboration and the sharing of best practice”.
His office said he has ruled out a move to privately-run academies, selection or grammar schools.
Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Liz Smith said they have been calling for more power to schools for years.
But she warned: “New educational regions must not be a Trojan Horse for yet more centralisation.”