Smith: Headteachers and parents must decide what is best for our children

Keir Bloomer, a former leader of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) and adviser to the Scottish Government, has today backed the idea of allowing charitable trusts and not-for-profit companies to run schools.

Scottish Conservatives have continually called for the need to end the local authority monopoly of educational provision.

Liz Smith MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning, said:

"These are very welcome comments from Keir Bloomer. If we are prepared to allow schools and their headteachers more freedom to make their own decisions then schools can only flourish. The one-size-fits-all system of schooling in Scotland is failing too many of our young people.

"The Scottish Government's own survey of headteachers last year revealed far more should be done to allow heads to have greater say over issues such as recruitment, school budgets and discipline policy. This viewpoint was echoed by an overwhelming majority in the Holyrood conference this morning.

"Successive Scottish Governments have doubled spending on schools since 1999 and yet standards have flat-lined or, in some cases, declined. That should send a very strong message that the current structure for delivering education in our classrooms isn't working well enough.

"Scottish Conservatives believe we need to end local authority monopoly of educational provision and urgently transform the management of schools. Our headteachers and parents must decide what is best for our children."

Back to all posts