THERE are many problems in society which would be solved with greater scrutiny.

One of them may indeed be the problem of struggling primary schools.

Oxford’s schools have faced heavy criticism for their standards in reading and writing – with the worst results in the country at Key Stage One in 2010.

Today education expert John Howson calls on district and city councils to have more responsibility for education. He says the closer scrutiny – which would likely involve a tighter span of control – would have meant problems were picked up sooner.

He has tapped into a hidden political maelstrom bubbling just beneath the surface of Oxfordshire’s structure of local government.

Education is not the natural preserve of the city council, and it does not obviously have the experts in place to handle it properly.

But the authority should take a real interest in the issue because education is intricately linked with the city’s prosperity and future.

New county leader Ian Hudspeth has maintained the council’s direct contact with its district and city colleagues, with specific geographical responsibilities for different councillors.

This could give the county council’s district colleagues a direct line of feedback into the heart of policy making.

That way the powers-that-be can work together and have the best chance of solving the problem of our struggling schools.