CIFE is delighted to announce that Lord Alistair Lexden is new CIFE President. Lord Lexden is a distinguished educationalist, historian and author of wide experience and interests who joined the House of Lords as a Conservative working peer in January 2011.
Lord Lexden spent the first eight years of his working life as an academic historian at Queen’s University Belfast, lecturing, researching and writing on political history. For the following 20 years he worked in the central organisation of the Conservative Party, first as political adviser to Airey Neave, spokesman on Northern Ireland, and later as Deputy Director of the Conservative Research Department.
From 1997 to 2004 he was General Secretary of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), where his achievements included steering the committee which led to the creation of the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), which inspects schools in the private sector.
Lord Lexden is a regular contributor to the letters pages of The Times and The Daily Telegraph, writing on a wide range of topics. He is an active parliamentarian, and a vigorous advocate of closer partnership between state and independent schools, and of enabling state schools to conduct their affairs more independently.
"I am delighted to accept this role," Lord Lexden said. "I look forward to representing CIFE colleges on a number of important issues, both inside and outside Parliament. This sector has always responded swiftly to changes in our education system. For example, with the recent demise of January A-level examinations, the imaginative solutions they now offer retake students, including short courses from January to June, will acquire greater significance next academic year and in the future."
Lord Lexden takes over from Baroness Pauline Perry who has been an invaluable source of advice and support to CIFE during her eleven years as President.
Mario Di Clemente, CIFE Chairman, welcomed the appointment of Lord Lexden. "He will be a great asset to CIFE in the coming years", he said, " and I look forward to working with him and to the benefits he will bring to us. He is passionate about education, supports what our colleges stand for and will be a reassuring influence during the challenges which lie ahead."
For more information about check out Lord Lexden's Wikipedia entry.