​The provision of education in Scotland is the responsibility of local authorities. There are 32 education authorities in Scotland. They are responsible for:

• meeting statutory requirements
• taking forward nationally agreed policies and guidelines
• spending and accountability for educational funding
• continuous improvement of services to meet the needs of local communities

Local authorities may also review their school stock and if the location and condition of schools meets population patterns and educational needs.

Across Scotland, local authorities adopt different service structures. Increasingly, education is part of a wider department, which can also include services such as leisure, culture, sports, the arts, community learning and social work services. 

HM inspectors, working across all areas of learning, support and challenge the work in the 32 authorities, through the process and impact of rigorous inspection. 

School Consultations

When local authorities propose a change in education provision, they have a statutory requirement to engage in a formal consultation process. This should meet the requirements of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. The act provides guidance for local authorities on exercising their functions. It applies to consultations on changes to schools and nursery schools. This may include consultations for closing, relocating or opening a new school.

Devolved school management

Local Authorities devolve the management of certain expenditure to school level. Devolved school management (DSM) was introduced in 1993 with the twin aims of improving local decision making and providing more flexibility to head teachers in meeting the needs of individual schools. The revised DSM (2012) brings guidance in line with the objectives of Curriculum for Excellence,  Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) and the Early Years Framework.

Health and nutrition

The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 places health promotion at the heart of a school's activities and details a number of duties on local authorities such as to promote school meals and consider sustainable development guidance when providing food and drink. Better Eating, Better Learning (March 2014) supports further improvements to school food and children and young people's learning about food and its contribution to their overall health and wellbeing. It is built on a vision to improve the life chances of our children and young people through the food choices they make now and in the future. 

Local authority contacts