Council agrees new education consultation guidelines

Jan 21 2010 by Marjorie Kerr, West Lothian Courier

WEST Lothian Council are set to change the way they carry out education consultations.

The local authority have agreed to adopt new standards for formal school consultations.

The standards were agreed by the Education Executive committee recently and builds on existing good practice already carried out in West Lothian, bringing arrangements into line with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Bill, which is expected to come into force later this year.

Under the new standards, the council will consult for a longer period over formal proposals, such as school closures and catchment area changes.

There would also be formal involvement of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education (HMIE) in the process, which would require the council to produce an educational benefits statements outlining the need for change. It also establishes what is a designated rural school, and outlines the very specific requirements for them.