ANGRY teachers slammed Welsh Education Minister Jeremy Miles today for falsely suggesting that schools in Wales are run by local councils.

Teaching union NASUWT Cymru was responding to comments made by Mr Miles to the Morning Star in his ministerial press conference about helping schools boost pupil attendance and attainment.

The Welsh Labour leadership hopeful was asked whether it would be better to have schools in Wales under full local authority control to enable a joined-up approach to improve attendance and support parents.

Mr Miles said that schools were already under local authority control, allowing “a more joined-up service than [in] England.”

Union officer Neil Butler said: “The minister’s view is a concern because he is wrong and he knows that it is impossible to get a local authority to intervene in the decisions made by school governing bodies.

“The overarching employer is the local authority, but they effectively delegate all employment powers to governing bodies — that is local management of schools. 

“Schools are not covered by the Social Partnership Act and are therefore effectively petty dictatorships.

“The fact that schools govern themselves is why they are excluded from the Welsh government’s social partnership legislation.

“If schools were properly governed by councils it would be more democratic and decisions about education would be accountable to local electors.”

First Minister Mark Drakeford has previously told the Morning Star that he is open to full local authority control of schools.A Welsh government spokesperson said: “A governing body is responsible for the school by providing strategic overview, ensuring accountability and support to day-to-day matters. The local authority maintains schools and has an interest in the way a school is being governed and ensuring it is managed well, to deliver effective and efficient provision.”