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The Scottish Council of Deans of Education (SCDE) is the only body of its kind which represents University Schools of Education and Teacher Education Institutions in Scotland. Its 11 Higher Education members play a key role in Initial Teacher Education (which is accredited by the General Teaching Council of Scotland), educating Student Teachers in support of Scotland’s children and young people; and working in partnership, principally, with others within the education sector, nationally and internationally.

The Council member institutions also contribute to educational research and offer career-long professional learning for teachers and other education professionals, for example, in areas such as educational leadership and inclusive pedagogies. Collectively, our diverse programme portfolio covers undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications up to doctoral level; and a range of continuous professional learning courses and knowledge exchange opportunities. The Council represents these varied areas of expertise and activity, to inform education policy and practice.

Each Council member organisation has two representatives who are often Deans/Heads of School or leads for Initial Teacher Education with strategic responsibilities within their Higher Education institutions. You can find a full list of members on the Council Member page here – Council Members.

The Scottish Council of Deans of Education’s primary objectives are:

To nurture high-quality teaching graduates equipped to engage critically with a range of education settings and diverse learner populations
To contribute robust and relevant research that informs education policy and practice
To raise public awareness of the contribution of the education profession, from early years to lifelong learning
To provide a platform to debate and develop strategies for professional learning for education personnel
To engage in, and build upon, international collaborations to advance educational discourse in a range of areas: e.g., educational leadership; curriculum; research; and policy
To partner with diverse national and local organisations, to further advance equity and excellence in education
To anticipate and to engage with developing political, economic, social, cultural and environmental concerns as they affect education

The Scottish Council of Deans of Education represented institutions receive their funding through a variety of sources, ranging from: government; industry; research councils; and voluntary and non-governmental organisations; to bequests and donations by alumni.