PROPOSED changes to education in Argyll and Bute will NOT reduce the number of head teachers in the area’s schools, council chiefs say.

But the planned ‘Empowering our Educators’ programme would see changes to the responsibilities, roles and titles of school leaders, a report has revealed.

In a document answering frequently asked questions on the proposals, the council has said head teachers would become ‘heads of school’ under the planned changes.

A consultation on the proposals runs until Friday, March 4 - a month later than originally planned.

Teaching union representatives have expressed fears the number of head teachers in the area could be reduced from 84 to 14.

The council said: “Instead of a head teacher, each school would be led by a head of school. The head of school will have overall responsibility for the good order of the school and for maintaining the high quality of learning experience for the school’s children and young people - just the same way that a head teacher does in the current model.

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“The head of school will be the person who understands where each child is in their learning journey and maintains a relationship with parents, carers and the local community.

“Unlike a head teacher, most heads of school will be non-teaching. They will not teach classes themselves. The only exceptions will be heads of our very smallest schools, with 10 pupils or less.

“This will allow the heads of school, our most experienced educators, the capacity to work strategically across their collective and to take on specialisms, developing skills in specific areas of education for sharing across the collective.”

The report also states: “School staff, principal teachers and classroom teachers will continue to be employed to a specific setting, ensuring continuity of the relationships between our teaching staff and our children and young people.

“There would be no expectation of teachers having to travel around any more than they may currently do.”

It has previously been stated that the proposals would mean no school closures, no reduction in pupil/teacher ratio or contact and no removal of unique school identities.

However, it has provoked a passionate reaction, with the council’s community services committee deciding in June last year not to implement the changes until fuller consultation had taken place.

Once the consultation period has finished, feedback will be reviewed and councillors will be asked to make a decision in the autumn.

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