Call for parent choice on schools

The Conservative propose education funds would follow pupils

Fight for parental choice

Parents should be given control over their children's education funds to allow them to choose school places, the Scottish Conservative have urged.

The move is among plans being debated at a Tory conference in Edinburgh, billed as a call for higher standards.

It is backed by a petition from parents who won the right to choose a school in South Lanarkshire, after being taken to court to try to prevent them.

The Scottish Government said it was committed to improving every school.

Figures released in March showed that placing requests were made for one in seven pupils starting secondary school in Scotland and 20% of pupils starting primary, with about 80% of these granted.

I don't think we are doing our best for Scotland's children and I think at last people are starting to realise that

Annabel Goldie
Scottish Tory leader

The Scottish Conservatives want to go one stage further and give parents control over their child's personal education budget from the state.

A school's income would then depend on its ability to attract pupils.

The party argues this scheme would encourage poorly performing schools to do better.

Speaking before the event, Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: "Education will undoubtedly be one of the major political battlegrounds in Scotland over the next two elections - Westminster and Scottish Parliament.

"Why? Because I don't think we are doing our best for Scotland's children and I think at last people are starting to realise that.

"There is compelling evidence to show that successive Scottish Governments have failed to give all pupils the best possible opportunities."

Bureaucratic nightmare

The Tories also propose that a "pupil premium" should be paid to school children from poorer areas.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said the administration supported the right of parents to make placing requests.

"However, we are also committed to ensuring that every school has the resources necessary to reduce class sizes and to provide every young Scot with the highest quality of education," she said.

"We would never support a policy which delivered anything less."

Labour said the Tory plans would "create a bureaucratic nightmare and damage schools".