parent governor representatives

Parent governor representatives

Recent research into the experiences of parent governor representatives (PGRs) found confusion over the role, lack of respect and communication difficulties, writes David Gordon

A research study into the work of Parent Governor Representatives has concluded that the role is ‘both necessary and worth doing’, but the researchers warn that, ‘at present it is hard to avoid concluding other than that PGRs are being sent into battle with one arm strapped behind their backs’.

The report was commissioned by the charity Research and Information on State Education (RISE) and carried out by the Centre for Successful Schools at Keele University, and Create Consultants.

Three years after the first PGRs took up their posts in June 2000, the project studied their work in 150 English local authorities, using data collection, questionnaires and interviews. The views of current and former PGRs were canvassed, as well as those of chief education officers or directors of education and elected council members with an education brief.

The government introduced PGRs as a way for parents to have a bigger say in local authority decisions. The DfES currently describes the role of the PGR as ‘primarily, to hold their authority to account by consulting with and feeding back to parents on discussions and decisions relating to education’.

Nevertheless, 82% of PGRs who responded to the survey said they found it very difficult to gain access to parents and believed that most parents were unaware of their presence. Less than a third of them felt that the present system had been effective in representing the views of parents, even at local level. Less than a quarter of CEOs and less than half the elected members considered that PGRs were effective in representing the views of parents within their local authority.

Confusion over the role of parent governors was illustrated by the fact that both these groups were more likely to identify PGRs as representing parent governors, rather than parents.

A lack of training and support was identified as a shortcoming of the new system and many local authorities have experienced problems recruiting sufficient PGRs.

Almost half of PGRs believed that morale among their fellow PGRs was low and more than a third felt that there was no one to whom they could turn for help. Even so, 72% of current PGRs said they found the work rewarding.

The report concludes that progress has been made and continues to be made, but that there is still a long way to go in a great many local authorities. Referring to David Blunkett’s speech earlier this year as part of the Labour Party’s ‘Big Conversation’ initiative, in which he spoke of the importance which the Labour government attached to building a meaningful partnership with parents, it comments: ‘In the form of the parent governor representative, the government arguably has a potentially very powerful force for helping to transform rhetoric into a reality. However, PGRs need to be supported in this – truly supported, with the funding and other resources needed to carry out this task, together with the active “climate shaping” that is both symbolically significant and necessary. At present it is hard to avoid concluding other than that PGRs are being sent into battle with one arm strapped behind their backs.’

Among the proposals made by the report are that:

PGRs should have a minimum term of office of not less than three years, and ideally, four years.
Induction and training should be of a common high standard in all parts of the country, and monitored. It should be made clear whose responsibility it is to deliver it.
A guaranteed national entitlement of support should be given to PGRs – explicitly stating by whom and when it will be given.
LEAs and schools should seek to put in place effective structures for ensuring that PGRs are able to reach the parents they represent, and thereby develop their constituency.

Parent Governor Representatives — a bigger say for parents?, by Mike Johnson and Keith Pocklington, can be downloaded free from the RISE website

This article first appeared in School Financial Management - Nov 2007

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