As a school governor of long-standing, I take exception to Jim Goodall’s attack on the integrity of governors (“Rough justice needs reform”, TES Cymru, September 8). Mr Goodall seems to be extracting a sweeping generalisation from a small number of bad experiences.
My experience of union activists is that some are constructive and willing to work with governors, while others are rude and hectoring, having taken their style of operation from the “I’m all right Jack” school of 1960s trade unionists. I would not dream of assuming that all union officials were such that we should legislate to control their behaviour.
Governors often bring relevant experience to bear. On employment law, our governing body has two senior HR professionals, from the private and public sectors.
We also do not work in an advice vacuum and have support from the local authority’s HR department and from a governor support unit. In the cases cited, I wonder whether Mr Goodall suggested that the governors took advice about their perceived shortcomings in employment law and natural justice.
Of course there are a small number of governing bodies which are weak and defer all decisions to the head, but in my experience most do a great job in a complex and trying climate with little recognition or thanks.
Dr Martin Price chair of Vale of Glamorgan governors association St Richard Gwyn RC high school Barry
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