Local authority education bosses have expressed their discontent with Education Scotland’s decision to implement a new system of inspecting local authorities in addition to the current inspection processes focused on individual schools. The announcement was made without any prior discussion, disregarding the work that education directors have been doing for over a year to enhance self-evaluation practices. A spokesperson for the education directors‘ body ADES stated that this move does not align with effective partnership working, which they believe is essential for improving education outcomes.
Scotland’s largest teaching union, the EIS, has also criticized the plans. While the EIS has previously advocated for inspecting council education departments to ensure they have the capacity to support schools, they believe that the current models of inspection need to be reformed rather than expanded. EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley emphasized that imposing more top-down accountability measures without addressing the resourcing crisis in education could hinder efforts to enhance educational experiences and outcomes for children and young people.
The letter sent to education directors by acting chief inspector Janie McManus outlined plans for a national thematic inspection of local authorities‘ approaches to supporting school improvement in 2024-25. This inspection aims to identify what is working well and the challenges that councils face. Additionally, Education Scotland intends to develop a framework for inspecting local authorities, indicating a potential increase in visits to council education departments in the future.
In response to the criticisms from EIS and ADES, an Education Scotland spokesperson emphasized the importance of stakeholder feedback in developing new inspection frameworks. They stated that they are committed to partnership working to drive improvement and have engaged with various stakeholders to support the development of the thematic inspection. Education Scotland highlighted that they last conducted regular inspections of council education departments in 2017, focusing on the Scottish Attainment Challenge local authorities.
The variation in SQA exam results across the 32 local authorities in Scotland has raised concerns, prompting education secretary Jenny Gilruth to plan a meeting with education directors, SQA chief executive Fiona Robertson, and acting chief inspector Janie McManus. The aim of the meeting is to discuss the results and collaborate on driving improvements in education outcomes.
Overall, the decision by Education Scotland to introduce a new system of inspecting local authorities has sparked criticism from education leaders and stakeholders. The focus on enhancing self-evaluation practices and addressing resourcing challenges in education is seen as crucial for improving educational experiences and outcomes for students. Collaboration and partnership working between Education Scotland, local authorities, and stakeholders will be essential in driving positive change in the education system.