FENLAND: Appeal launched to find school governors in wake of massive shortage

Story by: ADAM LAZZARI

EFFECTIVE management of a host of schools in the Wisbech area could be jeopordised by a shortage of school governors.

Twenty seven posts are unfilled in schools in the town and surrounding villages, though no schools are without any governors all together.

National charity the School Governors' One-Stop Shop has launched an appeal to recruit volunteer governors in the area.

Pamala Richardson, the SGOSS's governor placement manager said: "A number of schools in the Wisbech area have contacted us, asking us to help them recruit governors.

"There is a massive shortage of all types of school governor nationally and it is a particular problem in rural areas.

"Governors are critical to the effective running of local schools."

School governors form the largest volunteering force in the country and anyone over 18 can apply.

There are four different types of governor: staff governors, parent governors, community governors and sponsorship governors.

As a collective group, governors have responsibility for matters such as planning the school's long-term future, allocating budgets and appointing senior staff.

Stefan Fisher, 38, is head governor at Emneth Nursery and Children's Centre where, at one point last year, a third of its 14 positions were unfilled.

He said: "I'm on every committee so I'm committed to 17 meetings a year.

"I usually have to give up between two and four hours a week doing paper work and preparing for these meetings.

"It's proving hard to recruit and keep governors because it's completely voluntary and people have to be committed to it.

"I became a governor two years ago because I wanted to get involved in my first daughter's education it can be a rewarding role but you have to be committed to it."

To find out more about becoming a school governor, contact the SGOSS on 020 7354 9805 or e mail: info@sgoss.org.uk.