Set schools free, say deputies
Plans to expand interim governance boards have been criticised by a deputy who instead wants schools to be given more freedom to make their own decisions.
The Education Law gives Education, Sport & Culture and its officials extensive controls over day-to-day management of States schools, which has divided opinion since 2012, when an independent report claimed that over-centralisation was hurting schools and students.
In June 2023, Education faced a backlash over proposals to transfer limited responsibilities to schools. Some deputies accused its proposed governance boards of being window dressing which would leave most meaningful powers with Education and its officials.
The States voted for an amendment from Peter Roffey and Heidi Soulsby which directed Education to draft proposals for ‘far greater devolution of powers’ to schools, including over their finances and staff, before Education won a motion to withdraw the whole debate, avoiding substantive votes against its plans.
Deputy Roffey wants Education to get on with drafting devolution proposals instead of recruiting more members to schools’ interim governance boards which have no legal powers or duties.
‘To work well, any new governance bodies will need significant autonomy and clearly defined roles set out in the new legislation,’ he said.
‘I am not at all convinced that bringing other people into the existing political system of governance makes any sense.
‘It would be far better to get the drafting instructions law approved for new and autonomous school governing boards and then seek to recruit to them rather than putting the cart before the horse.’
ESC has insisted that it wants to present the States with fresh proposals on the governance of schools before next year’s general election, which Deputy Roffey welcomed.
Deputy Soulsby was also unconvinced about Education’s move to expand its interim governance boards ahead of that States debate.
‘It is surprising that changes are being made before they have been approved by the States, especially given what happened to Education’s proposals last year,’ she said.
‘In fairness, Education has done a lot of sessions with deputies since then, and may feel more confident that its current solution will be supported. But it can never be assumed that what is put forward will be approved without amendment, so it is not without risk.’
Schools’ interim governance boards are currently made up of members of ESC and its officials. Education declined a request to share the membership of each board and their terms of reference.
Deputy Roffey said he agreed with Education that new faces should be brought into the governance of schools.
But he called for reforms to go further and for schools to have boards of governors without politicians or Education officials.
‘The role of the Education Office in supporting States schools is a crucial one, but it should not extend to day-to-day governance of schools,’ he said.
He claimed that Education’s interim governance boards were similar to an unsuccessful move made 10 years ago.
‘When I joined ESC in 2018, a previous committee had set up a so-called shadow board of governors for the College of Further Education, which led to great frustration for everybody involved as it lacked the formal powers actually to govern the college,’ he said.
