Diocesan Boards of Education Measure 1991

Part I Membership

1 The Board shall consist of—

(a) the bishop;

(b) two persons nominated by the bishop, each person so nominated being either a suffragan bishop or a full-time assistant bishop in the diocese or an archdeacon of an archdeaconry in the diocese;

(c) not less than fourteen or more than eighteen members elected in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2 below;

(d) not less than four or more than eight members co-opted by the Board of whom—

(i) four members shall be persons with experience of church schools in the diocese, and

(ii) the other members (if any) shall be persons with experience of other areas of work with which the Board is concerned;

and the bishop may nominate two additional persons (whether in Holy Orders or not) to be members of the Board.

2 Subject to paragraph 3 below, the diocesan synod shall by resolution determine whether sub-paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this paragraph is to apply in relation to the elected members of the Board, that is to say—

(a) such number of members as the diocesan synod may determine, not being less than fourteen or more than eighteen, shall be elected by the diocesan synod, and of those members—

(i) at least two shall be clerks in Holy Orders beneficed or licensed in the diocese, and

(ii) at least six shall be lay persons, and

(iii) at least six shall be members of the diocesan synod; or

(b) such number of members as the diocesan synod may determine, not being less than two, shall be elected by the diocesan synod in respect of each archdeaconry in the diocese, the number to be so elected being determined so as to ensure that the total number of elected members is not less than fourteen or more than eighteen, and of the members elected in respect of any archdeaconry—

(i) at least one shall be a clerk in Holy Orders beneficed or licensed in the archdeaconry,

(ii) at least one shall be a lay person, and

(iii) at least one shall be a member of the diocesan synod; or

(c) the elected members shall consist of—

(i) two members elected by the diocesan synod from among its own members, and of those two members one shall be a clerk in Holy Orders beneficed or licensed in the diocese and the other shall be a lay person, and

(ii) one member, whether a clerk in Holy Orders or a lay person, elected by each deanery synod in the diocese from among its own members,

and upon such a resolution being carried, the number of elected members of the Board, the eligibility of candidates for election and the synod by which they are to be elected shall be determined accordingly.

3 Where the number of deaneries in a diocese is less than twelve or more than sixteen, paragraph 2 above shall have effect as if sub-paragraph (c) were omitted therefrom.

4 The bishop shall be chairman of the Board except that, if he does not desire to be chairman, the Board after consultation with the bishop, shall appoint some other person (whether or not a member of the Board) to be chairman, and the person so appointed shall be an ex officio member of the diocesan synod.

5 The election of the elected members of the Board shall take place every three years in the same year as, but after, the election of members of the diocesan synod, except that where the diocesan synod determines that sub-paragraph (c) of paragraph 2 above is to apply to the Board the election of the elected members shall take place in the same year as, but after, the election of the deanery synods; and the elected members shall be elected in such manner as may be determined by the synod by which they are elected and shall begin to hold office on the 1st January next following their election.

6 Where an elected member of the Board ceases to be a member of a diocesan or deanery synod then, notwithstanding that he was elected by reason of his membership of that synod, he shall continue, unless he resigns, to be a member of the Board for the remainder of the period of office for which he was elected.

7 Any casual vacancy among the elected members of the Board shall be filled in such manner as may be determined by the diocesan synod.

8 All members of the Board other than the bishop of the diocese shall cease to hold office on the 1st January on which the newly elected members begin to hold office, except that a member of the Board shall be eligible for re-election or re-appointment on the termination of any period of office.

9 A person who is in receipt of any remuneration as an officer or member of the staff of the Board shall not be eligible for membership of the Board.