§ Mr. Allan StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will publish details of his proposals for allowing parents to take schools out of local authority control.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythA paper is being issued today entitled "Self-Governing Schools—Extending Choice for Scottish Parents" describing proposals expected to provide 213W the basis for forthcoming legislation. It is being made available to education authorities representative bodies. school councils, parent-teacher associations and the general public. Copies have been placed in the Library.
These proposals represent another major step towards greater choice in education. Opting for local self-management in place of central control by the education authority will create a new form of school. The school will remain in the public sector but will enjoy freedom to develop its own ethos under local management and to tailor provision to the needs of its pupils and the expectations of the local community.
The decision whether to seek self-governing status will be entirely for the parents at each individual school: there will be no pressure or obligation on any school to take this route against the wishes of parents. The paper we have now issued to education authorities and others provides fuller details of what would be involved. The main features are:
A self-governing school will remain part of the mainstream of education provision, publicly funded, open to all without qualifying examination or fees.Self-governing schools will be subject to inspection to ensure that they provide a satisfactory standard of education.The school will be managed, and its staff employed, by a board of management consisting of parents, staff and representatives of the wider community.Funding will be by direct Government grant, set to match the resources which the school could reasonably have expected to receive if it had stayed under the management of the education authority.