Councils to discuss council tax reform impact on education

School - credit Rae Allan

Scottish local authorities will today sit down with teaching unions to discuss how changes to the council tax and education reforms will impact on schools.

Planned changes to the council tax mean people in more expensive housing bands will pay more.

The Scottish Government expect this to raise £100m, however ministers have indicated they may hand the money directly to schools.

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However councils umbrella body COSLA is expected to resist any attempt to lessen their control over education budgets.

No decision has yet been made though, and education secretary John Swinney has said he will discuss with local government first.

Swinney has indicated structural reform will form a big part of a review of education governance.

Announcing the review last month he said: “It will consider the changes needed to empower our teachers and schools, seek to devolve decision-making and funding to schools and communities and support the development of school clusters and new educational regions.

“At the same time we will develop proposals for a fair and transparent national funding formula to ensure resources go where they are needed most.”