This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Appointment of headteachers
20/11/2006
Powers to get parents more involved in appointing headteachers and deputies were unveiled today.
A consultation on regulations that will protect and increase parental involvement in the appointment process is the latest step in the Executive's drive to give parents more of a say in education.
Currently, councils are under no obligation to consult with parents when they begin the recruitment process and parental representation is only required at the final interview.
The proposed regulations will:
- ensure that parent councils are consulted before any recruitment process begins
- give parents a legal right to be involved in the short listing process
- guarantee parents make up at least one third of any appointment panel
Deputy Education Minister Robert Brown said:
"Parents and headteachers are probably the most important influences on children's experiences at school. It is vital that we build strong partnerships and ensure that parents are an integral part of the appointment process. Indeed, this is only part of our wider programme to involve more parents in their children's education.
"These regulations ensure parents are involved all through the recruitment process - a significant improvement in their influence and a further step in our drive to get more parents more involved in education."
Section 14 of the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006 set out the framework for parental involvement in appointing headteachers and deputes. The Parental Involvement in Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher Appointments Regulations 2007 provide more detail on those processes.
Current procedures are contained in the School Boards (Scotland) Act 1988. Parents are currently only involved in the final interview and are expected to make up 50 per cent of the appointment panel. Chair of the panel for headteacher posts is drawn from the education authority and chair for Deputy Headteacher posts is normally the headteacher of the school to which an appointment is to be made.