Parents will be able to join new school bodies

The Scottish Executive's draft Schools (Parental Involvement) Bill aims to strengthen parents' rights.

School boards were introduced by the Tories 16 years ago to give parents more power.

Under the proposals, schools can opt for more flexible bodies but the Scottish School Boards Association warned they may disenfranchise parents.

The key proposals in the bill are:

• Better parental involvement in children's learning

• More flexible and locally agreed parent forums, replacing school boards

• Education authorities setting out plans to help parental involvement

• Modernised selection of headteachers and their deputies.

Deputy Education Minister Euan Robson said: "The bill proposes more flexible, parent-friendly arrangements that will best suit the wishes of local schools and communities.

"Its provisions give parents more opportunities for getting involved in schools and influencing their own children's education."

School boards are mainly comprised of parents, but also include teachers and "co-opted" members drawn from local business or the community.

It is crucial that parents are involved in their children's learning Rev Ewan Aitken Cosla Consultation on the draft bill

Board members are involved in determining the overall policies, objectives and ethos of a school.

They can also be involved in appointing senior staff, such as the head teacher and approving school finances.

When Conservative ministers introduced school boards in 1988, they were meant to prepare the ground for the government's policy of schools opting out of local authority control to become self-governing.

Policy dumped

However, this policy did not prove successful in Scotland and was later abandoned by the Labour government.

The Scottish School Boards Association encouraged everyone involved to make their views known through the consultation.

But it warned that the plans could erode parent power.

If this is a diminishing of parental powers and an obvious move towards centralisation then we would oppose it James Douglas-Hamilton Tory education spokesman

SSBA vice president Caroline Vass said: "If headteachers are not required to be part of the new set-up, as advisors to the parental bodies, then there is a very real chance that we will end up with the parental groups as talking - or more likely moaning-shops - with no meaningful discourse between education stakeholders."

Scottish Conservative education spokesman James Douglas-Hamilton said: "If this is a diminishing of parental powers and an obvious move towards centralisation then we would oppose it.

"School boards play a vital role in our education system and the Labour/Lib Dem executive must think twice before getting rid of them."

Local government organisation Cosla welcomed the process.

Education spokesman Rev Ewan Aitken said: "It is crucial that parents are involved in their children's learning both at an individual level, and also in the wider decision-making processes, and these proposals offer that opportunity."