Search results

The final decade of the twentieth century saw a major shift to self‐governance for schools in many countries, including the UK and Australia. This trend is underpinned by the assumption that greater autonomy will lead to improved educational outcomes. The impact of self‐management on principals and schools is now well documented but much less attention has been given to the implications for governance, a significant omission as the process of decentralisation transfers responsibilities to governing bodies rather than school principals. Reviews the main issues of governance and illustrates them from the research in England and Wales and in Australia. It joins the debate about the appropriate balance between governance and management for governing bodies and examines the lay/professional interface in school governance. It assesses governors’ role as representatives of school interest groups and concludes by setting out a research agenda for governance in self‐managing schools.

Aims to examine current debates about the recruitment and retention of teachers and explore the views of Local Education Authority Human Resource Advisors, governors and teachers.

Addresses the issue of whether the Government is actually achieving its stated aims of best value in selecting, recruiting and retaining the most effective teachers in primary and secondary education.

The conclusion for the appointment of teachers in schools is that structured panel interviews, with trained panel members, and preferably including an HR professional, would represent best practice.

Raises serious concerns about the delegation of HR practice.

The democratic constitution that came into effect in 1994 and ushered in the new South Africa recognises parents' role in education hence the established of an innovative school governance structure of which parents are in the majority. Before then, there existed parents–teachers association in schools. Its members were handpicked and therefore undemocratic and ineffective. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the innovation in school governance encourages parents in the rural areas to be productively involved in school matters.

The study used the qualitative research method of focus group interviews to explore the extent to which the school governing body fosters active involvement of parents in school matters. The purposive sampling technique was used in selecting 21 school governors from three rural schools who were deemed information-rich to participate in the study.

The study found that the post-apartheid school governing body concept, which is an innovation in education management and leadership, encourages and promotes productive parents' involvement in education of their children.

The findings have lessons and implications for school management and leadership in the developing countries because as an Africa adage says, “it takes a whole village to bring up a child”.

The 1988 Education Reform Act has profoundly affected the organisation of education in England and Wales. In common with changes in several other jurisdictions, the power of both the central government and the schools has been increased and that of the local authorities decreased. The major changes involve (a) introduction of local management of schools by school governing bodies; (b) introduction of both a national curriculum and a national scheme for assessment of pupils; (c) reduction of the operational role of local education authorities, which will become more involved in planning, policy making, and monitoring; (d) more parental choice of schools that their children attend; (e) the possibility that individual schools can apply directly for national funding; and (f) establishment of city technology colleges. Several implications of those changes are presented, together with positive and negative reactions. The applicability of some of those changes to other systems, especially in Canada, is discussed.

Reviews some of the changes in the law relating to education which have given school governors greater powers than formerly. Describes how these new powers can create polarization between staff and governors, and between teaching and nonteaching governors. Outlines the format for a workshop designed to improve assertiveness among governors and teaching staff, which highlights the differences between aggressive, passive and assertive behaviours.

Discusses the situation of Catholic aided schools following the 1988 Education Reform Act with emphasis on school governing bodies. Governors need training, information and guidance on school management plans and devolved budgets, new flexibilities in staff salaries, teacher appraisal and morale, buying in inspection. Further classification of new grant maintained status may be needed. A proper balance must be found between education authorities, governors, Church, parents and teachers that best suits individual community needs.

A clarion call to all librarians to lobby the governing body of their local schools, particularly secondaries, for better library provision is the theme. Notes a poverty of spirit in schools brought about by the 1988 Education Act and details the effect Local Management of Schools (LMS) has had on both schools and Schools Library Services (SLS). Emphasizes that financial control of schools has passed from Local Education Authorities directly to schools and that decisions concerning library provision now lie with governors. This offers each community the opportunity to lobby the governing body to improve or safeguard existing library provision. The financial restraints inherent in LMS have increased the need for schools to attract the support and patronage of business and industry and through inter‐library co‐operation all librarians in a community can help to raise the profile of libraries and offer schools access to valuable marketing expertise. Highlights that co‐operation between business and industry is desirable due to the introduction of National Vocational Qualifications which may start in secondary schools and continue throughout life. Concludes that, unless schools are persuaded to invest capital in libraries, the resulting fall in standards could be catastrophic.

Explains how school governors, who have to write a policy about sex education, can get help on a topic which they might find embarrassing. Looks at the reluctance of some governing bodies to promote sex education in their schools and the conflicting opinions about what should be taught. Reveals the lack of understanding among some governors and the need for governor training. Discusses ways in which a reluctant governing body may be stimulated into action and reports that it would be quite possible to have a sex education policy which is broadly based, providing no more detail than necessary, and which allows the head full freedom to write an appropriate curriculum, governors adding special requirements as they wish.

The article discusses future relations between school governing bodies and the LEA in Humberside. A Governors′ Development Programme, which has been launched involving all governing bodies has been well received.