The Governing Bodies Association has hit out at the Minister of Education over the continued delay in the approval of governor appointments to Voluntary Grammar Schools in Northern Ireland.
Director of the Governing Bodies Association John Hart said,
“The Minister must explain why it in some cases it is taking her six times as long to do her job than a direct rule minister, who were only over here a day or two per week and in most cases had several departments to run.”
“The criteria for decision making have not changed. The process has largely not changed. It is clear the only thing that has changed from the previous round of appointments in 05/06 is the Minister behind the desk. We understand from DENI officials that all other procedural steps have been cleared. Therefore we have to ask why the Minister simply refuses to approve these appointments?”
“Schools nominated governors to serve local communities in good faith. They are shocked at what appears to be crude political interference in essentially community matters.
“The GBA call on the Minister to either make clear when she expects to approve these year-old applications, or admit that she is arm-twisting schools to conform to her failed policy on transfer rejected by 13,000 parents last year.
“The least schools deserve is a little honesty.”