Malcolm Trobe, interim general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), will stay in the role for another year while the union searches for a permanent leader, it has been announced. 

ASCL said today that it was not yet ready to select a preferred candidate after the first round of recruitment. The union does not expect a new leader to be in place “until some time in 2017”, it has revealed. 

Until a permanent leader is found, Mr Trobe, the former deputy general secretary, will continue to head the union. 

Mr Trobe took on the role in January this year after the former leader Brian Lightman suddenly stepped down from the post after more than five years in charge.

The union was hoping to have a permanent successor in place by next January - a year after Mr Trobe took on the role - but the process has been delayed. 

Allan Foulds, president of ASCL, said: “The process of recruiting a general secretary is subject to legal and constitutional requirements and therefore takes some time.

“At present, we have carried out a first trawl of the jobs market, but we have not yet reached a stage where we are ready to select a preferred candidate, so we are extending the process.”

‘Further steps’

He added: “Once a selection has been made a series of further steps must take place which include submitting the preferred candidate to the membership. We therefore do not expect the next general secretary to be in post until some time in 2017.

“In the meantime, we are pleased that Malcolm Trobe has agreed to continue in his role as interim general secretary, providing experienced and effective leadership and ensuring the voice of school and college leaders is heard at the highest levels of government.”

On Friday, the NUT teaching union will appoint a new general secretary after Christine Blower stepped down in May. 

NUT members will vote to decide whether acting general secretary Kevin Courtney or Beth Davies, who served as president of the union in 2013-14, will take charge.

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