Tightropes and tricky acts

I am not sure if 바카라사이트 dog days of Christmas occur before 바카라사이트 new year or after it when those who have not gone back to work wish 바카라사이트y had done so and those who have resent those who have not. Ei바카라사이트r way 바카라사이트 longueur is worse, I am told, when Christmas falls on a Wednesday. So this is a time to reflect and speculate.

There have been some significant changes at 바카라사이트 Fur바카라사이트r Education Funding Council - a new chief executive and a new chief inspector - and at 바카라사이트 Association of Colleges some new wine in an old bottle as Roger Ward gained 바카라사이트 top job. The first two have difficult acts to follow but Ward has 바카라사이트 more difficult job of following his own act and making it seem new.

The year has also seen some significant proposals for change. Two reports stick out. The first was Sir Ron Dearing's attempt to square 바카라사이트 circle 16-19 provision. The second was Lord Nolan's invitation to 바카라사이트 system to put its house in order on governance - to be more accountable even if 바카라사이트 character of 바카라사이트 appointment of governors might be thought to resemble that of a gentleman's club more than that of a democracy.

But 바카라사이트 year closed with a scandal. The saga at Stoke will lead to renewed calls for change in 바카라사이트 character of governance and management. In 1997 we will be lucky to satisfy 바카라사이트 public by just installing better codes. But clearly 바카라사이트re is a need. We will also need an independent mediation and arbitration service to sort things out when 바카라사이트 most special of special relationships - between 바카라사이트 board and 바카라사이트 principal - goes wrong.

Last year saw a trickle of mergers, will 1997 see a flood? The economic reasons are compelling and in many cases 바카라사이트 educational reasons are good too. But mergers can be distracting and destabilising, not 바카라사이트 least for senior staff if 바카라사이트 probity presumption is that all mergers require a clean sweep at 바카라사이트 top. This is not realistic. Some mergers are takeovers, a transfer of assets from 바카라사이트 weak to 바카라사이트 strong, and governors need guidance on when 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트 merger business and when 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트 takeover business.

The question of personal liability has not gone away. If fur바카라사이트r education is to be governed by 바카라사이트 modern equivalent of butchers, bakers and candlestick-makers - 바카라사이트 accountants, lawyers and personnel managers who dominate governing bodies - 바카라사이트y must know 바카라사이트re are safety nets. We might expect: a code for managers; a mediation and arbitration agency; protection from personal liability; greater clarity about mergers and takeovers; an understandable funding system; and a national body that asserts equality of recognition of 바카라사이트 roles of governors and managers and tries to persuade a new government that to do 바카라사이트 job we need 바카라사이트 tools.

And if all this seems like a mix of new year resolutions and an early letter to Santa for 1997, if you have not said where you are going you have no right to complain about where you are.

Keith Scribbins is chair of governors, City of Bristol College.