Empowering Schools: A consultation on the provisions of the Education (Scotland) Bill

Closed 30 Jan 2018

Opened 7 Nov 2017

Contact

Education Bill Team

0131 244 7014

EducationReform@gov.scot

Feedback updated 30 Apr 2018

We asked

For your views on the detailed policy proposals for the key themes to be included in the forthcoming Education (Scotland) Bill. These themes include:

  • Establishing a Headteachers' Charter to define headteachers’ responsibilities as leaders of learning in schools and set out the support they can expect;

 

  • Providing the legislative underpinning for the establishment of Regional Improvement Collaboratives;

 

  • Improving parental and community engagement in school life and learning;

 

  • Promoting Ensuring that the views of children and young people are considered and that they have an opportunity to participate in decisions about school life and learning.

 

  • Establishing an Education Workforce Council to take on the responsibilities of the General Teaching Council for Scotland and the Community Learning and Development Standards Council and to register other education professionals.

You said

870 responses were received from a wide range of interested parties including individual teachers and parents, parent councils, teacher groups, local authorities, third sector organisations, teaching unions, and other professional organisations.  Responses covered a range of views including support for and concerns about the proposals together with a number of suggestions.

We did

Analysis of the consultation responses was carried out by the independent firm Why? Resrach. The final report of was published on 30 April 2018 and can be found here:

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2018/04/6098

Your views will inform the drafting of the Education Bill which will be introduced to Parliament during the current parliamentary year.

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Overview

The Education (Scotland) Bill that is being introduced later this parliamentary year is to create a school and teacher-led education system. The Bill will establish a Headteachers’ Charter which sets out the right and responsibilities of the headteachers, empowering them to be the leaders of learning in their schools. The Bill will also improve parental and community engagement in school life and in learning outside of school, and strengthen the voice of children and young people, by actively promoting and supporting pupil participation. In addition the Bill will provide the legislative underpinning for the establishment of Regional Improvement Collaboratives which will provide professional learning and leadership, support in both curriculum and specific sectors, sharing of good practice, and peer to peer collaboration, among other responsibilities. The Bill will also enable registration of other educational professionals with the Education Workforce Council, taking on the responsibilities of the GTCS and Community Learning and Development Standards Council. This will establish professional standards for other education professionals within the workforce.

Why your views matter

The consultation paper sets out why we think these changes will improve educational outcomes for young people, how they will work in practice, and what legislative changes are needed to enable them to happen. We are looking for views on whether the changes which we have set out will deliver the empowered school and teacher-led system which we are seeking to achieve.

Download the consultation paper.

What happens next

Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public at http://consult.scotland.gov.uk.  If you use Citizen Space to respond, you will receive a copy of your response via email.

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us. Responses will be published where we have been given permission to do so.

Interests

  • Children and Families
  • Education
  • Public Sector