Ministers to get new school powers

It is hoped the move will help improve schools with poor records

Government ministers are set to get powers to intervene in failing schools in Scotland.

The new measures, which would only be used as a last resort, have been unveiled by Education Minister Peter Peacock.

He said that the Scottish Executive does not plan to send in hit squads to turn around failing schools.

However, the proposals were attacked as "a window dressing exercise" by unions.

Mr Peacock said new arrangements to improve Scotland's schools were working well.

"However, there remain gaps in the system and it is prudent to bridge them now before a child's education is put at risk," he said.

School inspectors

"The first of those gaps concerns the current system of inspection and improvement in publicly-funded schools."

He said that in the past there have been no formal steps available to ministers if an education authority does not make improvements recommended by school inspectors.

"Children's education could suffer as a result," said Mr Peacock.

"The legislation being proposed today is therefore designed as a last resort to ensure action by education authorities, where HMIE (Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education)believes its recommendations have not been met.

This is a window dressing exercise, it's not a based-on-reality exercise David Eaglesham Scottish Secondary Teachers Association

"It is not about sending in hit squads or taking over the running of schools; it is about having final powers to require education authorities to drive up standards.

"It is hoped this new power will be used rarely but it will be too late in the future to discover that we need it and do not have it."

The executive said it will work alongside local councils to make sure appropriate action is taken to raise school standards.

However, the plan has already come under fire from local councils who say the new law is a meaningless gesture.

They claim the executive already has powers to intervene in failing schools but has never put them to use.

Address problems

David Eaglesham, the general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association, said the bill was "a gross insult" to school staff.

He did not know of any high schools which had not addressed problems identified by inspectors.

"I'm afraid this is a window dressing exercise, it's not a based-on-reality exercise," he told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme.

We are proposing changes which will tighten the regulations on the registration of independent schools Peter Peacock

"The simplistic assumption that there are failing schools and therefore if you send in some other group of people then that's going to be the answer is a kind of Carol Smillie-like exercise where you send someone in to redecorate the room and that will solve the problems.

"That I'm afraid is not a satisfactory answer."

Under the proposals, ministers would also receive extra powers over independent schools.

Mr Peacock said modernisation was "long overdue" for the legislation covering such establishments.

"We are proposing changes which will tighten the regulations on the registration of independent schools," he said.

"Ministers will need much more information on how a school is to be run before they agree to registration.

"Tougher powers to act quickly when serious concerns are raised about an independent school will also be introduced."