Support for ESC school governance blueprint

Interim boards at States schools look set to be made permanent to carry out tasks delegated by the Education Committee, while a temporary committee spends the first part of the next political term investigating what role the school boards should play in the future.

Education’s proposals were described as ‘the art of the possible’ by Rob Prow.

‘There was a clear instruction from this Assembly to set up governance boards and Education has worked extremely hard to do it,’ he said.

‘As it says in the policy letter, this isn’t the end of the road, but it is starting a process which is sorely needed.

‘Let’s just try to achieve something this term – try to get on this journey of governance boards now,’ said Deputy Prow.

The committee appointed an interim governance board for each States school earlier this term. They include unknown committee members and senior officials from the Education Office, and community representatives appointed in recent weeks.

Staff and parents’ representatives are due to be appointed in the spring.

Education president Andrea Dudley-Owen told the States that they were working well.

‘Over the past two years, they have proved evidence of impact which has led to new approaches to staff and student wellbeing in all settings, teaching French earlier to some students in primary schools, improved communications with parents, and they have fed into our new education workforce strategy, and Policy & Resources’ review of education staff terms and conditions, and much more,’ said Deputy Dudley-Owen.

School governance has been a contentious in education debates for the past 15 years, but Deputy Dudley-Owen said that ‘guns will be left at the door’ of the temporary investigation committee set to be formed after June’s general election.

Education member Deputy Sue Aldwell said that the committee had consulted extensively before submitting its proposals, including with local school leaders, and received widespread support.

Deputy Peter Ferbrache said he was ‘a great supporter of this Education Committee’ which had worked hard to improve the governance of schools and encouraged support for the proposals even from members who ideally would have liked them to go further.

Education is expected to win a final vote on its proposals today and then draw up amendments to the law which would scrap parochial school committees and transfer their responsibilities to the Education Committee.