School boards in Scotland facts for kids

School boards in Scotland were groups that helped decide how schools in Scotland should be run. They set the main rules, goals, and the overall spirit of the school. These boards also had an important job: to help build good relationships between the school, the parents, and the local community. They also made sure information flowed smoothly between these groups.

School Boards were first started in 1988. This was part of a government plan to get parents more involved in their children's schools. The boards included parents, teachers, and other people chosen from the community, called 'co-opted' members. Most members were parents. 'Co-opted' members might have been from local businesses or other community groups.

What are School Boards?

School boards were special groups that helped manage schools in Scotland. They were made up of different people connected to the school. Their main goal was to make sure parents had a say in how their children's education was provided.

Who was on a School Board?

School boards had different types of members:

• Parent members: These were parents of students at the school. They were usually elected by other parents.
• Staff members: These were teachers from the school.
• Co-opted members: These were people chosen by the other board members. They often came from the local community or businesses. They could not be staff or parent members.

The local council member (Councillor) and the Director of Education could also attend meetings and speak. Board members usually served for four years.

A Brief History of School Boards

School boards have existed in Scotland at different times.

Early School Boards (1872-1918)

The very first school boards in Scotland were active a long time ago, from 1872 to 1918.

Modern School Boards (1988-2006)

A new type of school board was created by the School Boards Act in 1988. This law said that all public schools in Scotland needed to have a school board. The first elections for these new boards happened in 1989-1990.

Some changes were made to how these boards worked in 2000. For example, if not enough parents were elected, some parent members could be 'co-opted' (chosen) to make sure the board could keep working.

Why were School Boards Ended?

School boards were eventually stopped by a new law called the Scottish School Act 2006. This law was introduced to the Scottish Parliament in September 2005. The old school boards were replaced with a new system that included Parent Forums and Parent Councils. These new groups also aimed to involve parents in schools.

What Did School Boards Do?

School boards had several important jobs and powers. They were meant to give parents a way to share their ideas about education at their local school. They also allowed some decisions to be made at the school level, rather than only by bigger regional authorities.

Powers of the Board

School boards had the power to:

• Ask for information about schools in their area.
• Receive and comment on financial reports about the school's money.
• Approve how the headteacher spent the school's budget for things like books and learning materials.

However, school boards did not have power over everything. For example, while they could suggest members to help choose new staff, they could not fire staff. They also had no role in disciplining students.

How School Boards Were Formed

The 1988 law said that elections for school boards had to be held in almost all schools. Only very small schools, where there weren't enough parents to form a board, were exempt.

A school board could only be officially set up if enough parent members were elected. This could happen through regular elections or special elections (called by-elections). If not enough parents were elected, a board could still be formed by choosing some parent members to be 'co-opted'. If a school didn't have a board, it was either because it was a very small school, or because not enough members were chosen in the elections.