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Good governance - at what price?

good governance – at what price?

6 November 2013

The question of paying governors of schools and colleges has always been a thorny one. Historically governors have been expected to contribute their time and expertise as governors without pay, except for out of pocket expenses. But with the growing emphasis placed by Ofsted and the public on good governance, are we asking the UK’s biggest group of volunteers to do too much at their own expense?

Squeezed budgets mean that many governors do not claim the travelling expenses that they are entitled to and many don’t charge for providing expertise which is above and beyond the normal role of a governor. One could certainly argue that more professionals would be willing to volunteer as governors if they knew they would be paid taking time away from the day job and existing governors would be willing to spend more time on school related matters if they weren’t watching the clock.

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Vicki Hair

Associate

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