Comments on: Bid to Ban Parent Governors

By: Jane

Jane — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 23:31:37 +0000

I have become extremely interested in this topic of whether parents should also be governors since my child has been physically and verbally abused by a child who’s mum is a parent governor. The Headteacher appears to be taking a more softly softly approach with this child when she has excluded other children for far less. I am deeply concerned that this relates back to the mum being a parent governor and her being extremely vocal in the school. These people filling the roles of parent governors in our school seem to do it for one reason only – self interest.

By: Julie Holland

Julie Holland — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:47:09 +0000

http://www.parentsoutloud.com‘s done it once more! Amazing writing!

By: Chris Williams

Chris Williams — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:29:39 +0000

This article seems to confuse “parent governor power” with “parent power”. In practice ordinary parents have no rights to know what is going on in the school which their children go to. They don’t get to see the school accounts, since the governing body AGMs were abolished they have no right to meet with and question governors and many school Gbs can’t even be bothered to write perents a yearly letter about the direction they are trying to take the school.
School GBs lock themselves away and see themselves as not aswerable to anyone. Just imagine if Parliament acted this way – there would be riots in the street, and yet decisions made by out schools are arguably more important to our children than the mutterings of our MPs ion Westminster. Who said “all professions are a conspiracy against the layman”, or something very similar.

By: Helen LLoyd

Helen LLoyd — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:53:38 +0000

I should have explained that I am a Parent and Chair of Governors. I have been involved in Governance for 6 years.

By: Helen LLoyd

Helen LLoyd — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:50:53 +0000

I do not recognise this description of governing bodies. Each GB can set what proportion of the body is made up of parents, staff etc. Our largest proportion is for parents. Also – in my experience – training courses are at various times and are organised by the governors themselves – I do not know of any Head who orders Governors along to courses that happen to occur at the same time as meetings- that is likely to make meetings inquorate and unable to continue – in other words a very stupid tactic. Our biggest problem is actually getting parents involved!! And where is this money to through at Parent Govs to keep them quiet!! Not in my School!!

By: Shawna

Shawna — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:33:35 +0000

Parents should always have a say when it comes to their children, they are after all………. theirs.
Parents today having to work harder to support their kids and families are already further removed from their kids than they were in the past. It’s important to guard the influence they still do have in their kids lives, what is taught, how it is taught and the way it’s taught…. parents should have some say in what is going on in school- after all it will be where their kids will spend almost half of their lives growing up.

lifeinthehome.com

By: Ali

Ali — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:15:32 +0000

This has more to do with whether the headteacher has the emotional maturity to lead the parent governors and teach them how to be a “Critical friend”.

There are ways and means of suggesting change in a school or any organisation. If you wish to complain, do so, but go in with proposed solution(s). Be a part of the team, not an agitator.

Perhaps if we sent the Parent Governors on compulsory training to help them learn how to act in this way it would help. There seems to be a disparity between the quality and quantity of training provided by local authorities.

My local authority seem to be leaders in Governor training – and I have found their courses appropriate, accessible, interesting and well pitched.

To exclude parent governors because we cant reach/teach/manage the “challenging” ones, would be a failure – and would send a clear message to parents in general. Surely we can make allies of Parent Governors? We can provide a head with essential word “from the playground” on the perception of the head and his/her teams actions. Free feedback!

By: Lee Ingram

Lee Ingram — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:39:02 +0000

Schools do not belong to the Teachers or head Teachers, Schools belong to the community, they are OUR schools where OUR children attend and it is OUR parent view that then matters, seeming Teachers and Head Teachers have OUR children in their hands.
Professionals of this nature should work with the community and where professionals of this nature do not work with the community it becomes a dictatorship, a “We know best” scenario which is more relevant in dodgy tin pot regime countries and I’m sure all parents want to be living in a free England rather than a dictatorship.