By Michael Hunt and Barry J. O’Toole.The public service in the United Kingdom and in other parts of the world has been subject to more than fifteen years of constant reform. These reforms have raised numerous questions about the role of the public service in western political systems, the most important of which might be termed ethical questions. The questions are concerned essentially about the relationships between citizens and their governments and the roles and duties of politicians and officials in the aims, organisation and management of government. These questions raise further issues about leadership, both political and administrative and about the type of people who exercise leadership in our political and administrative systems.

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There has been a sharp fall in the number of adults currently in learning, though new figures show there has been an overall increase in the number participating in education over a three-year period.The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education says the annual Adults Learners’ Week survey offers mixed messages. Initially, it says, the report “Better News This Time?” shows encouraging signs. The fall in the number of adults participating in learning reported in the last two years has been reversed with the overall participation rate up to 42 per cent from 38 in 2004. But the figure for current learners – just 19 per cent – shows a sharp fall and is 4 per cent below the 1996 level.

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Head teachers have today submitted a substantial pay claim to the School Teacher Review Body that could see some earning more than 130,000 pounds a year. They say that pay rates for heads have fallen behind those for staff in comparable jobs in the public and private sectors and that differentials between the Leadership Group and other teachers are too narrow.The National Association of Head Teachers says its is concerned about recruitment because of the relative fall in incomes. NAHT uses the Hay Group Job Evaluation Scheme to ‘benchmark’ head’s jobs against those of similar size in 505 organisations and this, it says, shows that head’s salaries have fallen behind by an average of nearly 20 per cent.

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