Opinion19Disaffected pupils need alternatives in the classroom

Briefing28A contractual loophole may deny teachers parental leave MINISTERS have invited big businesses to sponsor lectures and develop training programmes for the new headteachers’ college.

They have also been invited to tender to design and build a showpiece public building at the Nottingham headquarters. The deadline for expressions of interest, however, is today.

Estelle Morris, speaking last week at a business breakfast for corporate leaders, said the Government wanted to use the skills and experience of leadership in the business world to help train teachers.

She also launched a new one-stop shop for recruiting business people to governor vacancies in inner city schools. Representatives of big companies including Dixons, Shell International and HSBC were told that business governors had a special contribution to make to schools’ governing bodies.

Ms Morris said: “You bring a set of experiences from your working life. You have been through many of the changes to do with performance management and appraisal that schools are going through now and you have also got the most up-to-date knowledge about industry.”