Proposals to ‘parachute in’ primary heads attacked

THE body which regulates teaching in Scotland has warned against plans to “parachute” secondary staff into headteacher posts in primary schools.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) was responding after East Lothian Council said it would look at funding secondary school staff through a course which would allow them to apply.

With many primary head-teachers nearing retirement age, and many primary teachers seemingly unwilling to take the step up, Don Ledingham, director of education and children’s services for Midlothian Council and East Lothian Council, said one way of tackling the problem was to allow secondary school teachers to make the move.

But Anthony Finn, chief executive of the GTCS, said: “While we recognise the value of teachers bringing their experience to another part of the school system, we believe that teachers working in primary schools must have appropriate qualifications.

“We understand that there are issues in filling primary head- teacher posts across Scotland, but this is not a reason to parachute teachers from secondary schools.”