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Education chief gets governor role after snub
Tory bypasses protest at his kids’ school
CAMDEN’S education chief has been told that he is not wanted as a governor at his children’s school.
In a snub to the man in charge of all of the borough’s schools, four governors from Hampstead Parochial School took a deputation to the council protesting at the nomination of Conservative councillor Andrew Mennear.
But the attempt to block his attempts to win a place on the governing body failed when Lib Dem councillor Keith Moffitt approved the nomination.
He said: “I have spoken to him and I have to have faith in his ability. I trust him. If there are problems, he assures me he will step aside.”
Cllr Mennear, who has been Camden’s schools supremo for more than three years, must now work with the objectors who tried to block him.
But he said that he did not think everybody on the committee was opposed to him becoming a governor, and that those who were would be “pleasantly suprised” with his work.
Leading yesterday’s (Wednesday) deputation, vice-chairwoman of governors Angela Gardner said the school did not need another governor who was a councillor or a parent of a child at the school. She said there were “operational difficulties” of having too many parent governors.
Ms Gardner added that there was concern about the possibility of a “conflict of interest” due to his role in charge of the education department.
The objectors declined to comment further after hearing Cllr Moffitt’s decision during a brief meeting in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon.
Cllr Mennear’s wife, Sophie-Caroline Mennear, failed to win a place on the governing body after being nominated by the Conservative Party earlier this year. The couple have two children at the school.
Ed Fordham, the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate who is also a governor at the school, said: “It’s a disgrace and he should withdraw. He should put the school’s interest first and his own ambitions and grudges to one side. He has made a grave mistake and I urge him to think again.”
Cllr Mennear said last night: “I have experience of being a governor and I know what difficulties a school may face, especially financially. I think the governors will be pleasantly surprised by my input.” |
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