With many governing boards reporting that they find it difficult to recruit volunteers, young people (which for governance purposes NGA defines as those aged under 40) represent a largely untapped pool of skilled, committed and enthusiastic volunteers, given that NGA’s School and Trust Governance in 2021 report found that only 10% of those governing were aged under 40.
If boards are to truly reflect the communities they serve, they should seriously consider recruiting from this demographic to ensure that they possess a range of voices working together to improve children’s education.
NGA is also helping to break down some of the myths surrounding being a young governor or trustee (for example, that experience or qualifications are required or that you need to be a parent) through initiatives such as the Young Governors’ Network (YGN) and its 2021 research report Increasing participation in school and trust governance.
New perspectives and experience
Effective boards have a mixture and balance of members with different skills and experience, and, therefore, access to a range of knowledge and perspectives. This makes for lively discussion, robust challenge and healthy curiosity, not least because young people in particular are more willing to challenge the status quo and not accept information at face value. They can offer new angles and attitudes to governing, bringing with them valuable insights and ideas.
‘Our identities and experiences — our gender, race, nationality, class, and any number of other factors — shape the way we see the world. And when the mix of people in a group changes, so do the decisions that group makes.’ Sarah O’Connor, Financial Times, August 2018
The Department for Education’s Governance Handbook also states that effective governance requires ‘sufficient diversity of perspectives to enable robust decision making’. Is it possible to be sufficiently diverse if no member of the board is below the age of 40?
A recent education experience
Younger individuals will have a more recent experience of the education system. They are likely to have been on the receiving end of some of the policies and approaches your school/trust is taking and may be able to contribute ideas about what worked well for them and factors they wish their school had considered.
They will bring new ideas and energy to some of the challenges and opportunities schools and trusts are facing, both within and beyond their walls. In addition, younger board members are generally closer to the age of parents within the school community, thereby offering insights into methods of engagement which boards previously may not have considered.
Many also see it as their duty to enable children to have the same opportunities that they themselves were afforded and are driven by the opportunity to shape educational offers in a meaningful way.
A closer connection to pupils
Young governors/trustees will be closer in age and outlook to the children and young people that governing board decisions impact. Their first-hand understanding and lived experience of being a young person today can provide unparalleled insight into the hopes, fears, challenges and opportunities faced by pupils. This can help ensure that the education provided by schools and trusts meets the needs of pupils and helps to prepare them for life beyond school.
Seeing ‘people like them’ in leadership roles, including on governing boards, can also give children and young people confidence in what they can achieve when presented with a diverse range of role models.
A professional development opportunity
In addition to a sense of social responsibility, we know that chances for professional development are a draw for many young people.
Young professionals are often passionate about their development and want to gain leadership experience as well as soft skills like communication, negotiation and teamwork – all of which are crucial to the strategic functions of governing boards. School/trust governance therefore enables volunteers to practice and develop professional skills in meaningful and diverse roles.
Governing boards unite people from across the community who care about the futures of children. As part of an effective governing board comprising different skills, experiences and backgrounds, volunteers can meet, collaborate with and learn from others dedicated to offering children every opportunity to reach their potential.
Support and time
Research shows that young people value the chance to volunteer and support their communities as part of their professional roles. And because employers are increasingly innovative in how they develop their workforce, there is a real opportunity for employer support in creating time to carry out governance roles. This amounts to a win-win situation: free professional development for staff, who in turn can achieve their professional goals.
Although a great deal of governance duties take place outside of the working day, employer support can also be a great help in enabling governors/trustees to visit schools during the day. But this should not diminish the fact that young people are also willing to sacrifice their own free time to progress their careers as well as to serve their communities.
The main counter we hear to getting young people onto governing boards is that their lives are more transient as they move between locations and jobs, as well as raise families. But surely it is beneficial to have willing and effective governors/trustees even for a short period of time?
Finally, it should be emphasised that NGA is not suggesting that young governors/trustees, for any of these reasons, are inherently more effective in their roles – indeed, these appointments should be made in the interests of securing a balanced skill set. But it is vital that, in doing so, boards remain diverse, inclusive and reflective of the wider school community.
_
The Young Governors’ Network (YGN) aims to support and encourage those aged under 40 to govern in schools and academy trusts by allowing them to share their experiences, address the challenges they face and create sustainable connections amongst current and prospective governors and trustees. YGN is member-led: created and run by those governing with support from the National Governance Association. It is a community of engaged, enthusiastic, creative and questioning young people committed to improving schools and trusts.
If you’d like to find out more about what it means to be a young governor, the first episode of our flash webinar series Myth-busting School Governance, provides further details from experts within NGA.
Watch webinar
About the author
Sam Tranter
Sam Tranter is Senior Advice Officer at the National Governance Association (NGA). He has three years’ experience as a co-opted governor in a community primary school, including roles in headteacher performance management, pupil exclusion review and the pay committee, amongst other responsibilities. In addition to producing advice and guidance for NGA members, he also leads on their work with young governors and trustees, which revolves around termly meetings of the Young Governors’ Network, where members come to share positive experiences but also address the challenges they face.
