ABSTRACT
What must change is the way we manage the only unlimited resource we have-the value adding-capacity of the workforce.
(Gilmore and Fraleigh 1993:75)
Although the above quotation is a general one and not directed specifically at schools or nurseries, it still has enormous relevance for all those responsible for human resource management (HRM) in educational settings. Such reluctance can often be traced to questions about the value of ‘off the job’ activities that upset established routines unnecessarily. Underlying all this is an implicit questioning about enhancing a person’s prospects for the benefit of another employer. Furthermore, when resources are stretched and pressures increase, the temptation to restrict activities to general policy statements and statutory appraisal interviews becomes even more attractive. Equally, the demands of external inspection have tended to encourage teachers to perform well on a familiar stage rather than embark on any risk taking that might be subject to adverse comment or poor gradings. The same may be true of the professionals in full day care or private and voluntary sector provision. Clearly, the balance between effective performance and professional development is a sensitive one, where any initial dip in competence as a result of conversion or redirection needs to be carefully monitored and supported.
