School Boards
Section 26 – Role of School Board in raising standards and improving quality of education
58.The School Boards (Scotland) Act 1988 identifies the main functions of a School Board as: promoting contact between the school, parents and the community (section 12); taking part in the selection of headteachers and other senior staff (schedule 2); encouraging community use of school premises and, subject to the direction of the education authority, controlling their use outwith school hours (section 14); setting occasional holidays during term time after consultation with the education authority (section 14) and approving the headteacher’s plans for use of the budget for the purchase of books and other materials (section 9). Section 26 of the Act amends section 1(2) of the School Boards (Scotland) Act 1988 to require that a School Board exercises its functions with a view to raising standards of education in the school and to support those managing the school to secure improvement in the quality of education provided by the school. In practice this should help focus the School Boards’ activities and reaffirm what successful Boards already do.
