A DEBATE about how to recruit more governors to schools became heated at a council meeting last night.

There is a 29 per cent vacancy rate on governing bodies across the district, a meeting of the children’s services overview and scrutiny committee heard.

Councillor Kaneez Akthar (Lab, Keighley Central) said councillors could act as head-hunters and encourage talented people in their communities to take on the roles.

But Cllr Geoff Reid (Lib Dem, Eccleshill) asked whether it would be right for paid councillors to ask other people to take on unpaid work as a school governor.

He said: “I think that elected members, who are paid – although not as much as some people think – are perhaps the worst people to try and encourage people to take on onerous tasks without any payment.”

Cllr Akthar said she was “shocked to hear” that view.

She said in her opinion, it was an important part of a councillor’s job to look out for people who would be good “for one thing or another”.

Cllr Sinead Engel (Lab, Clayton and Fairweather Green) agreed, saying: “I am actually very offended by what I take to be a suggestion of hypocrisy,” and said she continued for a long time as a school governor after being elected to the council.