A Close Look at Scotland's School Funding

Executive Perspective

The Mary Erskine School in Edinburgh, Scotland, is across the way from the fabled Hogwarts School of Harry Potter fame. There are no witches or wizards at Erskine, but the school is home to some of the most talented and high-achieving students in Edinburgh.

Erskine was established in 1694 when some schools in Scotland were referred to as “hospitals.” The founder and namesake owned pharmacies and, together with the Company of Merchants Edinburgh, endowed the school to educate the destitute daughters of Edinburgh’s merchants. Hospital was a term given to an endowed charitable foundation.

Today the Erskine School educates 760 girls between ages 12 and 18 and, as an independent school that charges an annual tuition of $14,500, its student body can hardly be considered destitute.

Differing Emphases

Our visit to the school last fall was part of the 2017 AASA International Seminar. The Scottish educational system is controlled by the Scottish Parliament, which oversees all education matters. Scotland may be part of the British Union, but the country behaves as a separate entity.

Scottish educators are quick to point out that their system differs from the English system in that it seeks greater breadth in its studies rather than the depth sought by English schools.

Across Scotland, the flag you see flying is not the Union Jack, but rather the blue cross on the white background known as the “Saltire.” Competition in sporting events is fierce and our guide confessed that in any competition between the United States and England, the Scots will root for the U.S. That sentiment is fueled by the many years of fighting between the two countries, although our guide was quick to admit that when the Scots were not fighting the English they were fighting each other. The Glencoe Massacre was a bloody reminder of the fighting between the MacDonald and Campbell clans.

Gender Separate

Mary Erskine School is part of the Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools system, which offers primary and secondary education. We saw classes in design technology. Our tour guide conveyed the school’s values and the importance it puts on service and citzenship. We also had the opportunity to visit the boys’ school, Stewart’s Melville College. The secondary system in Scotland incorporates our middle school and high school years, but in Scotland, the last two years are optional.

At Stewart’s, where all graduates are said to go on to universities, the last two years are a must. An interesting component to that takes place during what we consider to be the senior year. Boys and girls come together for the first time since the primary level in a co-ed program.

The Melville schools receive no funding from the government, but because they are defined as a not-for-profit charity, the schools must allocate 5 percent of their seats for students who meet the high admission standards but cannot afford the tuition.

In the small village of Dochgarroch, located in the Scottish Highlands, we had the opportunity to visit a public primary school attended by 19 students. The primary schools house what would be our K-6 grades. As was the case in America years ago when the head teacher was known as the “principal teacher” (before we dropped teacher and just referred to the principal), the head teacher in Dochgarroch is Principal Teacher Sandra MacLennan.

Resource Dependent

The public schools receive the same per-pupil allotment from the national government, but they also receive an additional 1,800 pounds per student for those in need of additional services, what we would consider our Title I population. The difference is that in Scotland, the principal, in consultation with parents, decides how the money will be spent.

Scotland recognizes an achievement gap in its student population, but they refer to it as an “attainment” gap. As in the U.S., the gap is primarily an economic gap. Schools like the Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools system significantly outperform public schools lacking the resources of the independent schools that charge tuition and pay their teachers higher wages.

Dochgarroch Primary, because of its small size, can offer students a comprehensive personalized learning program. While visiting the school, we were treated to outstanding musical performances by the students, all of whom are taught to play the musical instrument of their choosing.

The main takeaway from our visit to Scotland is that children around the world are beautiful and the quality of the education they receive is highly dependent on the resources available. Other than setting the goals, federal intrusion is minimal and public funding is equitable. Lessons to be learned back home.