Fresh bid for reform ‘imminent’
NEW school governance proposals will be published in the next few weeks.
Education’s previous attempt to make changes failed last year. It was forced to withdraw a policy letter on replacing the 1970 Education Law following criticism that it was trying to retain too many powers for the committee and officials rather than devolving them to school leaders.
After nearly 18 months’ further work, Education, Sport & Culture president Andrea Dudley-Owen told the States this week that a fresh bid for reform was imminent.
‘We are planning to come to the Assembly in the very near future, publishing our proposals before the end of the year for the governance model, and we will obviously look at devolution and delegation within that,’ she said.
The States backed a series of amendments to the ESC proposals before the whole report was pulled. Deputy Lyndon Trott threatened ESC with a motion of no confidence if it failed to respond to those directions. But there were already indications that deputies who favour more devolution to schools – commonly known as ‘local management of schools’ – could be left disappointed by the new proposals.
‘The question of devolution and delegation of powers actually, to a large extent, sits with P&R because it has responsibility for enabling services,’ said Deputy Dudley-Owen.
Ahead of another States debate on schools’ governance early next year, ESC has set up interim governance boards for each States school. They have so far included political members, States officials and school leaders but will soon be expanded.
In response to a question from Deputy John Gollop, the ESC president provided reassurance about the immediate future of parochial school management committees, which the 1970 Law requires for primary and secondary schools, following concerns that they could be sidelined prematurely.
Deputy Dudley-Owen said that the current system was focused on buildings and behaviour.
‘That is one of the reasons for the wider scope of the interim governance boards, which allows every single school to have a governance board, and a very broad view for those governors to support head teachers has been put in place.
‘We need to think pragmatically. For those school committees that exist for a limited number of schools, until new proposals are approved and then the ordinance is implemented, the status quo remains, and school committees are aware of this.’
Some seats on parochial school committees are up for election at parish meetings to be held in the first full week of November.
Deputy Dudley-Owen said the questions had helpfully highlighted a distinction between the committee’s existing duties on school governance and the future proposals.
