Steve Gullick Lecture

Guest lecturer: Steve Gullick

The role of governors and school policy

               Being a school governor is something that can be extremly rewarding. Anyone can become a governor- no qualifications are needed, you could be a teacher a parent or simply a society member looking for a way to contribute to education and make a difference.   School governors are in every school in England and Wales (not Scotland) there are approximately twenty in each school, usually including people from different backgrounds including staff representatives, parents, or even businesses who care for the schools success. Governors are responsible for many things, including promoting a high standard of educational achievement, and setting targets for pupil accomplishment at key stage 1, 2 and 3. They are also in charge of setting broad aims for the school e.g. uniform and times of teaching. Other duties include appointing staff and setting policies and objectives for the school.  Budget is also controlled by the Governors of the school.

          Governors are volunteers and therefore are not paid, which is something that has been question many times.  Argument for governors being paid, include the fact that, being a governor is a job which is challenging. Governors are put under pressure as they have many roles within the school.  However there are plenty of arguments against paying governors including the fact that pay could attract the wrong type of person, “Governance attracts individuals who are keen to put something back into their community” (Owen, 2009)  moreover it is not as easy as merely beginning to pay governors for their time, other question surround the debate including, where would the money come from? How much would they be paid? Currently to become a school governor there is usually an election, however if an LEA would like to become a governor the council picks. The head of the school picks if a teacher wants to become a governor and parents elect parents. However if governors are paid, would non-professionals be able to be part of the governing body? This brings me to the second question which has cause conflict. Should governors be experts on education or should they be local to the school e.g. parents, because they have a stake in the school doing well? I believe governors should be experts, perhaps parents care more however they can still care for the school and not be a governor, they can still contribute to the school in other ways. The way I look at it, employing an expert is the best way of caring for the school; governors play a big part in the wellbeing of individuals, their happiness and future. In my opinion an expert on education is the schools best chance of succeeding. As mention earlier being a governor is a big responsibility Owen explains:

 “It is no use the government telling governing bodies to recruit a better social-economic and ethnic mix of volunteers if the material that has to be dealt with is so weighty, complex and difficult to grasp” (2009)

Reference List

Owen, J. (2009, march 17). To be paid or not to be paid? Retrieved march 6, 2012, from the guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/17/school-governors-volunteers

Owen, J. (2009, november 10). We need to get it right on governors – for the sake of our children. Retrieved march 05, 2012, from the guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2009/nov/10/school-governors-warwick-university