96% of school governors are white, 33% are over 60 and under 40
RSA, 2017
"One of the most common questions I get asked, especially by parents on the gate, is 'What do you do as a (school) governor?'"
Dan Hall
Bushey Primary Education Federation
Transform Governance is a joint venture between Breslin Social Impact and Permuto Consulting
Need consultancy support? We have access to a range of specialists across sectors, across functions, and across the UK and beyond. Contact us to explore possibilities.
Tackling the rise of the “SPAD-ocracy”
Wednesday 25th June 2014
Letter from Tony Breslin published in The Guardian on Monday 23rd June 2014:
How ironic that in a week when Michael Gove has become the latest politician to disown the outpourings of a (former) Special Adviser, or “SPAD” (Gove forced to disown senior adviser after attack on Cameron, 17 June), the Guardian’s investigations reveal that almost half of Labour’s candidates in key marginals are “ex-special advisers, party workers, researchers, lobbyists or former MPs” (Labour picks Westminster insiders for key seats, 18 June).
The emergence of what might be termed the “SPADocracy” confirms the absence of meritocracy and enshrines an inequality of access and influence at the heart of our politics; it is bad for democracy.
While the rise of the so-called “professional” politician has brought some benefits, the dominance of the SPADocrats across both front benches and beyond leaves Parliament more cut-off and remote than ever, and confines policymaking to a clique of bright young things who know everything and anything except the price of a loaf of bread. Tackling the rise of the “SPAD-ocracy”
Tweet Share on Facebook
For too long, changes to the education system have been driven by political considerations, short -term difficulties and even, at times, nostalgia. Lessons From Lockdown sets out why this piecemeal approach to reform needs stop and provides an invaluable contribution to the debate that now must take place.
Rosemary Bennet
Former Education Editor, The Times
