E/ME3/2/2

File regarding appointment of Home-School Liaison Officer for Luton Bangladeshi Community, including information as follows:

1988 - 1990

From: 1988 To: 1990

- personnel specifications for the post; - programme for interviews, with shortlist of four candidates; - notes on the applicants; - offer of post to successful candidate and acceptance letter; - letter from Bangladesh Welfare Association, Luton protesting at appointment of a man because most Bangladeshi women, the wives being responsible for the children and so the Officer’s contact points, were Muslim and prevented by religion from speaking to unknown men; also protesting at the particular candidate’s appointment as he did not speak the Sylheti dialect, the language of the majority of the community; - letters from local councillor also protesting at the appointment; - letter from member of the local mosque, protesting at non-consultation on the appointment; - letter stating that Local Education Authority (LEA) had taken over funding for the post, previously funded by Section 11 grant; - letter from headmaster of Dallow Junior school, protesting at lack of consultation and monitoring of the post; - notes of a previous meeting to monitor the post; - information regarding advertisement and details of post; - draft of essential and desirable personnel specifications for the post; - assessment of four candidates by the previous postholder; - notes of criteria for appointment; - letter from headmistress of Beech Hill Community Junior regarding qualities for the post; - language assessments of each interviewed candidate; - notes on interview discussions regarding each candidate; - personnel specification sheet for successful candidate; - successful candidate’s application form; - report on how the decision was reached; - letter by an applicant protesting at not being shortlisted for interview and stating that they were taking the matter to an Industrial Tribunal; - job description for the post; - report on Section 11 funding for the post; - letter from Bangladesh Welfare Association stating they believed the appointment to be temporary and expressing surprise at not hearing who the permanent post holder was and referring to “selfish persons”, with LEA response to the effect the candidate had been appointed on a permanent basis; - memo expressing concern at the unavailability of the officer and his response.

Access to material may be permitted under supervision

item

2090

EDUCATION, multicultural education, ethnic minorities, employment, HOUSEHOLD, schools, Officer, LUTON, Bangladeshis, business correspondence, Bangladesh Welfare Association, protest, gender issues, Islam, Sylheti, Councillor, mosques, Local Education Authority, funding, headteacher, Dallow Junior School, Beech Hill Community Junior School, LANGUAGE, complaints