Woman who opened up Scotland's private schools steps down

Published on Friday 11 September 2009 22:07

TWENTY years ago when Judith Sischy became the first director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools, private schools were part of a very different landscape.

Wounds were still healing from battles in the late 1970s to bring some of them under the wing of the state sector.

Seen as unwelcoming, exclusive domains, they were on the outskirts of the education establishment.

In two decades at the helm of the body intended to change that, Mrs Sischy has seen the sector take its place at the heart of educational influence.

Yesterday, announcing her intention to step down from the role she pioneered, she revealed the extent of transformation private schools have undergone.

She said: "There have been huge changes both internally and externally.

"It used to be they felt like exclusive clubs to which outsiders weren't permitted. Now they are much more welcoming and open – about their fees, where the money goes, and about what they are trying to do for the pupils and involving parents."

She said the sector represented the fourth-biggest employer of teachers in Scotland, and had a powerful voice.

"Now when we sit around the table, instead of people saying 'why are the independent sector here?', they are now asking our opinion. Twenty years ago we weren't at that table."

Ms Sischy believes changes in charity legislation – which first caused fear – have led to positive change.

She said: "The charity review actually helped pull us together and evaluate ourselves – why are we here, what are our aims? We discovered we don't want to get too far from why we were set up – to provide education to people who didn't have it."

SCIS was set up in 1978 as a voluntary body. It became an independent charity in 1990 when the former French teacher took up the post as first director.

Ken Cunningham, general secretary of School Leaders Scotland, said: "She has been an absolutely superb ambassador."

Peter Brodie, rector of Glasgow Academy, said: "Judith Sischy has given outstanding service to education in Scotland, and I have the deepest admiration for what she has achieved."

Gillian Stobo, principal of Craigholme School for Girls, in Glasgow, said: "Judith will be a great loss to Scottish education generally, not just the independent sector."