School governance boards may be required by law

All schools in Guernsey would be required to have a board of governors if a proposal is approved by the States this week.

Put forward by Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture, who said it would "give educational governance boards a legal standing".

She said the proposals aimed to give parents, carers and members of the local community more involvement in how schools were run.

Boards of governors would hold head teachers to account for decisions and would assess schools' performance and resourcing.

Dudley-Owen said the educational governance system would "make the education system fit for 21st Century".

If the proposal is passed, it will make it a legal requirement for every school to have a board of governors.

A committee would be set up in the short term to decide what responsibilities the boards should have.

Dudley-Owen said the system was being trialled with Interim Governance boards, which she said had been successful so far.

She said evidence worldwide, and also in Guernsey's private colleges, showed good outcomes, as it gave head teachers opportunities to reflect on decisions and consult with members of the school community.

Dudley-Owen said: "This change is about making space for people with skin in the game, who are invested and interested.

"There's been a period of instability and almost turmoil around the education system for many years, and there's a view that politicians have been too close to the education system.

"This is an opportunity to ensure the community start to have a say in the running of our schools."

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