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Education Authority halts search for its first permanent chief executive

Education Authority interim chief executive Gavin Boyd
Education Authority interim chief executive Gavin Boyd Education Authority interim chief executive Gavin Boyd

THE largest employer in the north has suspended a search for its first permanent chief executive.

The Education Authority (EA) launched the job competition in August to find someone to lead a "programme of transformation".

It has a budget of approximately £1.5billion and is the largest employer in the north, with close to 40,000 people, although most of these are teachers in the state-controlled sector.

The top job was described as "one of the most demanding chief executive appointments in Northern Ireland", and "one of the biggest educational leadership roles in the UK and Ireland".

It also comes with a considerable public sector salary of up to £164,000 a year.

The EA replaced the five area education boards in April 2015. It was accepted as an alternative to the planned Education and Skills Authority (ESA) after rival parties failed to agree its establishment.

It delivers and funds services including school meals, transport, support staff for classrooms and special educational needs.

Gavin Boyd, the former head of the CCEA exams board, has been in charge as interim chief executive since December 2014.

When the EA launched last year, Mr Boyd admitted it would take years before the old board structures merged completely.

A selection panel set up to appoint a new head has recently completed the initial screening and shortlisting process.

It has now halted the competition, however, after taking the view that there was "potentially an insufficient number of candidates whose applications demonstrated the standards required for this very demanding role".

The number of candidates likely to go forward to the next stage, the panel said, was "not viable in terms of ensuring the competition remained sufficiently competitive and robust".

A review of the competition is likely to be carried out now before the authority starts its search again.

"EA is committed to appointing a chief executive on the basis of merit through a robust and competitive recruitment and selection process," a spokeswoman said.

"In light of the circumstances, the authority will not be proceeding with this particular recruitment exercise at this time.

"All aspects of the ongoing selection process for the post of chief executive will be reviewed before proceeding any further. EA is committed to ensuring continued stability until the review is complete and a way forward determined. Current chief executive, Gavin Boyd remains in post for the time being."