The role of the Director of Education in Scottish Education

Although in Scotland the title “superintendent” is not used, local governments - the Local Authorities (LAs) - have responsibility for the provision of public education within their area and so there is an equivalent role, that of “Director of Education.” In some LAs the Director of Education leads Pre-5 and school education while in other local authorities this function is combined with wider responsibilities and so there can be significant variations in the role. Nevertheless, both at local and national level the Directors of Education make a significant contribution to policy and practice in education. This chapter explores the role of the Director of Education in Scotland. The chapter begins with a brief overview of Scotland and its location in the United Kingdom (UK) and then moves onto a discussion of the key features of Scottish educational system which impact significantly on the role of the Director of Education. The final section of the chapter will discuss the role and significance of the Director of Education