TRADE unions have criticised proposals to give headteachers more power, describing the moves as “flawed” and not supported by the majority of staff.

Teaching union EIS and Unison Scotland, which represents school support staff, were responding to a consultation on the Scottish Government’s new Education Bill.

It would see sweeping reforms, including the introduction of a new Headteachers’ Charter, giving heads more power over the curriculum, recruitment and budgets.

However, a survey of EIS members found only 41 per cent of around 400 heads and deputies support the charter. General secretary Larry Flanagan said it was clear its members “have very serious reservations about the nature and scale of the proposals”.

Unison’s Dave Watson said: “Key problems in education are not caused by a lack of power for headteachers – it’s budget cuts, a teacher shortage and loss of support staff.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Our reform proposals are based on international evidence of how high-performing education systems work.”