The talk of the education world rightly focuses mostly on children and young people, on parents and on school and trust staff, the pressures they face and the work required of them. Yet, another cohort – one that quietly and tirelessly contributes to keeping the sector’s wheels turning – is feeling the strain.
The National Governance Association (NGA) has recently published a report that reveals a worrying trend. Too many governors and trustees are buckling under the weight of increasing workloads. Over one-quarter of volunteers and one-third of chairs are now considering throwing in the towel altogether.
Governing remains a unique and rewarding experience, one that offers an awful lot in terms of giving back an in opportunities to engage in strategic leadership with a profound purpose and meaning. More than that, the workload conversation should in no way detract from this workforce’s commitment to making a difference for children, which they do freely, generously and without much (if any) recognition. Quite the opposite.
The scale of the pressures governors and trustees have reached a worrying new high. As part of our research for this new report, Taking Stock of Governance Workload, we heard from over 2,500 volunteers – a turning point for a group who are notoriously shy and a sign in itself of the level of feeling about the expectations of the role, wider system pressures and the emotional toll the job.
