Schoolchildren should be given the chance to interview prospective headteachers, education chiefs have suggested.
Perth and Kinross Council is considering letting pupils quiz candidates as part of the recruitment process.
The new interview stage could be introduced as part of a shake-up aimed at improving the chances of securing heads and depute-heads for hard-to-fill posts.
It has emerged that, in an ongoing bid to find and retain staff, some applicants have been offered travel costs and relocation expenses.
Videos have also been produced to make schools more attractive to potential heads.
Allowing children to interview new teachers is a practice already used in other parts of the country, but has proved controversial.
The teaching union NASUWT previously considered industrial action to stop pupils’ questions, which some staff said was humiliating.
The organisation said that applicants had been asked “frivolous” questions such as “do you like children?” and were requested to sing their favourite song.
Next week, members of Perth and Kinross Council’s Lifelong Learning Committee will be asked to agree a range of improvements to the recruitment process.
They will be told that since procedures were revised in April 2016, three headteachers and six deputies had been appointed.
In her report, head of education Sharon Johnston said: “An analysis of the recruitment process for these posts show that lower numbers of applicants are received for headteacher posts than depute headteacher posts, and that fewer applications are received from external candidates for both.
“On one occasion, no permanent headteacher appointment was made after the recruitment process was concluded and this post has been re-advertised.”
She said headteacher recruitment was a “significant challenge” nationally.
Parents were consulted as part of a review of Perth and Kinross Council’s procedures and they suggested applicants should have “more involvement with pupils and spend more time in the school”.
Ms Johnston said: “In order to attract the strongest leet possible for these posts locally, a teachers working group has developed an action plan.
“In some circumstances, decisions have been made to offer travel costs and on occasion relocation expenses for hard to fill posts.
“It is important that Perth and Kinross is promoted as a desirable place to live and work, and this has been featured in improved advertising material and bespoke job advertisements for headteacher posts.”
Children at two schools which are currently recruiting new headteachers – Scone and Oakbank – have been working on short films aimed at showcasing the school and the community to potential candidates.
“Feedback will be gathered on the impact on this approach and, if successful, will be incorporated into the process where appropriate,” said Ms Johnston.
She added: “Pupils taking leadership roles is well embedded within schools and it is proposed that pupils interviews can be considered as part of the selection process.
“These would take place in the school as part of the school visit and would be supported by Quality Improvement Officers, Feedback from this process would be made available to the interview panel and considered along with all other assessment information.”
