Fife Council proposals which could see headteacher posts removed from all East Neuk primary schools will spark a “tidal wave” of opposition, an MSP has claimed.
Willie Rennie, MSP for the North East Fife constituency, has said he “cannot fathom” how the proposals would work and urged the council to reconsider their plans.
Wendy Chamberlain, MP for North East Fife, has also expressed her concern over the proposals, saying if they were to go ahead it would be a “dramatic change” for local communities.
Their comments come as a petition set up to ‘save East Neuk’s headteachers’ gained more than 1,500 signatures over the weekend, with angry parents labelling the proposals as “outrageous” and “totally ridiculous”.
“This is not the time to think about this”
Fife Council’s Education Service is currently consulting parent councils about possible changes to the leadership organisation of schools in East Neuk.
Three ‘leadership models’ are being proposed, one of which advocates removing individual headteacher posts from schools in the coastal towns and replacing them with a one headteacher serving them all – including Waid Academy.
See plans for ‘Model A’ below:
However, the proposals have sparked criticism from local politicians – including Scottish Lib Dems education spokesperson Willie Rennie – who expressed concerns over how it would work.
He said: “Our East Neuk communities have a strong sense of identity and I think the level of opposition to this plan will be like a tidal wave.”
“I just can’t believe that the council think this is the right time for such a dramatic change. Schools are still struggling to cope with the pandemic and many staff are off self-isolating. This is not the time to even think about this.
“I’ve never known such a large geographical area and so many schools to be covered by just one headteacher. I cannot fathom how any new headteacher will be able to provide effective leadership for 1600 pupils over nine schools.”
See plans for ‘Model B’ below:
Wendy Chamberlain MP added: “I share the deep concern of many parents in the East Neuk about what these plans could mean and the pace at which they are moving forward.
“Parents are right to expect that headteachers have personal connections with the communities they work in, and this is even more important in rural communities like those in the East Neuk.
“It is hard to see how a single headteacher covering such a large area and so many schools could fulfil that need.”
Union says parents must be listened to
Fife Council’s proposals have also been met with concern from local union reps, who say the views of parents must be listened to before any decision is made.
EIS Fife representative David Farmer said: “The EIS does not support the principle of super headteachers or headteachers managing multi establishments. There are sound educational and employment reasons for our opposition.”
See plans for ‘Model C’ below:
“Our view of what is being proposed in the East Neuk of Fife must be guided by this but nuanced by our engagement with all of the stakeholders involved.
“Parents are important stakeholders and clearly in the East Neuk a number of them are unhappy with the proposals from the Education Service and the subsequent consultation.
“Those concerns and their highlighting of them are entirely proper. We want to engage with parents on these issues. Through dialogue our hope would be a resolution could be found.”
Council exploring options
Last week head of Education and Children’s Services at Fife Council, Angela Logue said that the council is exploring a number of options to improve leadership arrangements across primary schools in NE Fife.
She added: “We are meeting with local parent councils this month to discuss three proposals and listen to their views and opinions.”
