Jane Morris argues that school governors should have a key voice in Wales’ education system.
When I think about school governance in Wales, I’m totally in awe of the 19,000 governors who give their time so freely to help their schools. Especially as they are all volunteers, many with jobs and other responsibilities. Their commitment and dedication are second to none. They fulfil a key strategic role in our education system; they are the critical friend and the accountable body, and they make endless decisions, working with senior leaders to secure the best possible education for learners.
While the role is rewarding, there are plenty of challenges. Perhaps the biggest one at the moment is the significant financial pressures schools are under, and the huge uncertainty this brings. Many school budgets across Wales are in the red, and that means governors are having to help headteachers make difficult decisions, from cutting support services to making staff redundant.
With behaviour, attendance and well-being problems growing in Wales’ schools, governors are facing an increase in the number of concerns and complaints they are dealing with.
Another challenge is the ongoing implementation of Curriculum for Wales. More freedom for teachers to be innovative and creative is welcome, but the approach still raises important questions: is there consistency across the board? How are we going to measure progression with confidence so that all schools in Wales are singing from the same hymn sheet? Will the curriculum help to improve overall pupil attainment? Much good work is in place, but is it aligned? These are all considerations governors must take into account when making decisions about the vision and content of the curriculum in their schools.
Recruitment and retention are serious problems for our schools. How do schools retain good teachers and support staff, and stop them leaving the profession in their droves? With falling roles hitting primary schools hard, are we in danger of rationalising and compromising the quality of school provision at the detriment of making hard-cut decisions on which staff remain?
Syniadau uchelgeisiol, awdurdodol a mentrus.
Ymunwch â ni i gyfrannu at wneud Cymru gwell.
With behaviour, attendance and well-being problems growing in Wales’ schools, governors are facing an increase in the number of concerns and complaints they are dealing with. While some of these are straightforward, more often they are complex and time-consuming and can cause considerable stress for all involved. Everything else stalls as complaints or other HR issues take over. I’m not in any way decrying the right to raise a concern, but with schools and governing bodies having limited resources and time whilst facing other considerable pressures, problems can be exacerbated and cause immense stress.
It’s no wonder some are asking if the education system in Wales is at breaking point. Perhaps we need to reflect and take a step back – “regroup, recharge and review,” as they say. Is the stakeholder model of school governance robust enough to deal with the realities of today’s education system, or should we look to develop other methods of governance? What has been in place for so many years might no longer be fit for purpose.
We must ensure that the voice of school governors is not forgotten in Wales, and we must all work together if we are to overcome the significant challenges the education system faces.
There are no easy, right or wrong answers, but we need to grasp the nettle and hold meaningful debate. We also need to consider what governors need; how can we make their lives easier? How can we create sustainable school governance and future-proof it? Do the policymakers and stakeholders really know? There is much effective practice out there in schools and from among our dedicated and hard-working governors, but is it being shared appropriately with education colleagues across Wales?
We must ensure that the voice of school governors is not forgotten in Wales, and we must all work together if we are to overcome the significant challenges the education system faces. The Welsh Government has already arranged a ‘national behaviour summit’, but I’d like to see a national forum bringing chairs of governors together with headteachers to discuss a whole raft of issues – negative and positive. The governor voice could be a very powerful one in the national education debate, bringing a different perspective and unique insight to some of the biggest challenges schools face.
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