Headteachers in threat to block pupil learning plans

The Scottish Executive launched the initiative in a bid to engage primary and secondary school pupils more in their education and give them a stronger say in what they are taught.

However, the Association of Headteachers in Scotland (AHTS) today raised serious concerns about whether many schools had enough resources to put the plan into practice.

The scheme, which was endorsed by Education Minister Peter Peacock in November, has already been piloted in 32 schools, but now faces an uphill struggle to become official policy.

In a statement sent to the Scottish Parliament’s education committee, the AHTS highlighted concerns about the resources needed to implement the plan and advised its members not to take part in the programme if they have any such worries.

The main problem is seen as the time it takes to prepare each plan for the pupils.

The AHTS, which represents primary heads, said pupil discussions could take at least 20 minutes which, in a school of 200 pupils, could take more than 60 hours to complete every term.

Gordon Smith, president of the AHTS, said: "We support the potential educational benefits to be had, but it is clear from the experience of our members that this is a resource-intensive initiative in terms of teacher time.

"We are recommending to our members they do not implement these plans unless they are confident the human resources are in place to provide the necessary cover for classroom teachers."

Fiona Hyslop, education spokeswoman for the SNP and a member of Holyrood’s education committee, said she intended to take the matter up with fellow MSPs.

"These plans were meant to be the big idea, but there is a danger they will eat into valuable teaching and preparation time," she said.

David Eaglesham, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association, said there was an "inherent falseness" in the idea of everyone having personalised learning. He added: "There is no mechanism to decide who gets what and it is potentially divisive if some pupils get more help than others."

A spokesman for the Educational Institute of Scotland union said there was confusion over how the plans were supposed to work. "Clear information is urgently required to allow teachers to prepare for this major change in classroom practice," he said.

A Scottish Executive spokes-woman said the Education Minister is still committed to the plans and said the scheme would not create more bureaucracy.

She said: "What we want to see is schools creating the right climate for conversations with pupils about their learning rather than turning this into a big bureaucratic exercise."

Launching the personal learning plans last year, Mr Peacock said they should be "at the heart" of the learning experience.