Cameron denies move to remove parent school governors

Prime Minister David Cameron has disputed claims that the government’s academisation plans for England will mean the removal of parent governors from school governing bodies.

The accusation came in Prime Minister’s Questions, where MPs voiced concerns about plans to end the obligation for schools to appoint parent governors. Cameron was questioned by Labour’s Catherine West about the government’s White Paper on academisation.

West outlined that there was ‘sadness and anger’ that the proposals would end the requirement for individual schools to have parent governors.

However, Cameron argued: "Parents have a great role to play, but no school should think that simply by having parent governors you've solved the problem about how to engage with parents. The Labour motion says the White Paper proposes the removal of parent governors from school governing bodies. It does no such thing.”

Cameron cited the White Paper, which said: “We will no longer require academy trusts to reserve places for elected parents on governing boards.”

He added: ”We will offer this freedom to all open and new academies, and as we move towards a system where every school is an academy, fully skills-based governance will become the norm across the education system."

Commenting on new regulations, the Department for Education said: "We trust them (academies) to decide on the most appropriate arrangements for their trust."