DELEGATES at the National Governors’ Council expected explanations.

The secretary and two vice-chairs had resigned, and the summary of a previously confidential government-funded review of the council’s organisation and funding had been rushed out to members.

The trio had quit because of concerns about proposals to create a new post of general manager (to support local governor associations and make bids for government funding); how these changes were being managed; and how they might affect the current administrator, Simon Goodenough.

The proposals were triggered by the Department for Education and Skills, which wants to stop providing core funding for the NGC and move towards bid-based project funding. The PriceWaterhouse Coopers review looked at options for organisation and funding.

Unfortunately, none of this background was clearly explained at Saturday’s annual meeting. Instead, many members were bemused - first, by the ruling out-of-order of a Cornish resolution requiring the NGC’s executive to get any organisational changes approved by members, and second by a vote of no confidence in chairwoman Chris Gale (Swindon). Tony Longworth (Bury), moving the vote, said: “It’s not good for us to be fobbed off without explanation when three valued members of this organisation resign. That indicates there is something fundamentally wrong with the management of this organisation.”

Mrs Gale survived, by 64 votes to 10, with 23 abstentions (and was later re-elected as chair by the new executive). Only then, was there much discussion of the PriceWaterhouseCoopers review and the council’s future.

Roger Adcock (Devon), the former secretary, who in his resignation letter had warned of paralysing divisions in executive and a vendetta against Mr Goodenough, said he in principle supported a new general manager’s post. But he hinted at other options in the full PWC report not contained in the summary (one is that the NGC merge with the National Association of Governors and Managers).

He added: “Your executive has got to lead the way but it has not taken the troops with it. Whether we have a general manager or not, it will not work unless the executive gets to grips with its own way of working.”

NGC stalwart and co-founder Jack Morrish (Somerset) gave a history lesson that some felt bordered on a filibuster, but pointed out there were many parallels between the PWC recommendations and the council’s first business plan - particularly the call to raise more money from subscriptions, and expand membership.

“No change is not an option,” Mrs Gale told conference, saying she wanted better communication with and support of member organisations - developments that need a general manager.

Delegates were sent away to discuss the council’s funding, communications and regional organisation, in preparation for a meeting of chairs of local associations early in the new year. But some left no wiser about what was going on. Others were left frustrated by the failure to address some of the substantive education issues affecting governors - such as funding, administrative support, special needs, headship training, and staffing, all touched on by speakers Heather du Quesnay, director of the National College for School Leadership, and Baroness Cathy Ashton, junior minister for school standards.

“We are still as much in the dark as we were when we walked in the door - if anything, it’s worse. Before we came in, we didn’t know what we didn’t know. Now we are worried about what we don’t know,” said one delegate.