Frank Gerstenberg: If Russell really wants to stop the rot he should look south for inspiration

A FEW decades ago, our schools were respected as among the best in the world, but compared to other countries, we are falling steadily down the league tables, while our teachers become more dissatisfied with their lot.

Ten years ago, the McCrone report, or rather the bastardised version brokered by then first minister Jack McConnell, awarded teachers a 23 per cent rise over three years, and defined their working week.

It has failed to raise standards, and the new McCormac report is now awaited with some apprehension.

Councils are calling for teachers to work longer hours and longer terms, while teachers' pensions are under threat in several ways.

Budgets are being cut, new buildings postponed, a new curriculum is being imposed, and salaries frozen.

Why then should there be grounds for optimism?

First, there is an acceptance in some circles that all is not well, and second, it often happens that the best reforms emerge during times of financial stringency.

East Lothian, for example, is looking at forming trusts to run some of its schools, some local authorities are no longer accepting that the unions are always right, and the minister responsible for education has expressed some interesting ideas in the past.

So what should he do? Previous incumbents have always thought that pouring money into schools was the answer. It isn't.

What he can and should do is look south of the Border, where academies are being established, with considerable success - he can always give them a Scottish slant.

He needs to reduce the influence of the local authorities, and give heads more independence.

He should consider re-establishing school boards, and he should stop tampering with the curriculum; the Curriculum for Excellence is by no means perfect, but teachers are fed-up with curricular change.

None of this will probably meet with the unions' approval, but Mike Russell does have two trump cards.

He should use every possible ounce of influence to reduce the harmful effect of the proposed changes to teachers' pensions, and he should ensure that the present freeze on salaries should cease as soon as possible.

These two cards might just persuade the unions to be less Luddite in their attitude to structural change. Without that, we will continue to dive down the league tables.

l Frank Gerstenberg is former principal of George Watson's College, Edinburgh.