HC Deb 27 June 1989 vol 155 c412W
Mr. Cartwright

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what evidence he has of the extent to which places for parents' representatives on school governing bodies are being filled by parents who are teachers employed at other schools; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Rumbold

The Government have commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research to conduct a survey of a sample of school governing bodies, and their membership. One of the questions concerns the occupational background of governors.

Mr. Cartwright

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to ensure that appropriate training is available to school governors in the light of their increased responsibilities under local management schemes.

Mrs. Rumbold

Local education authorities have a duty to make any necessary training available to school governors. The Government are paying education support grant on nearly £5 million of local authority expenditure on school governor training in England this year. Government funds have supported the production of national training materials on the local management of schools. We are discussing with LEAs and others the scope for further national initiatives.