First major study of Catholic governors launched

The University of London’s Institute of Education was the venue for the recent launch of Dr Christopher Storr’s new book Serving Two Masters? which was attended by a large number of scholars, governors and headteachers.

The book is the first major study of the work of Catholic school governors, and is published by Gracewing.

Introducing his book, Dr Storr paid tribute to the work of the many thousands of people who voluntarily devote so much time and energy to helping to ensure that the children and young people in their schools receive the best education possible.

His book reports basic factual information about Catholic school governors. His survey shows that they are in general well educated and experienced.

Women are slightly in the majority, and take a full part in the work of their boards. Ethnic minority representation is better than the national norm.

The book traces the history of Catholic schools from penal times to the present day, and shows that tension between the Church and the state dates back to the first award of state funding for Catholic schools in 1847.

It identifies issues where the expectations of the Church might be in conflict with those of the state, and examines how governors seek to resolve them. In doing so, it shows that in some areas the way governors govern their school appears to be at variance with the views of the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education and the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.