Mulkerrin II needed for primaries

ONE of the more chilling findings of the Mulkerrin report into the provision of education locally is over the performance of the island's primaries.

In particular, the report's author said: 'The reading ages of children entering the high schools are lower than I would expect in an island like Guernsey, given its relative prosperity. (Possibly this is because primary schools, like secondary schools, are not made accountable).'

The consequences of having a lower than optimal reading age are significant and, unchecked, will hold back a child's development throughout the curriculum.

In the UK, bringing students up to their age level is a priority and much effort is put into doing so. Guernsey, for whatever reason, has adopted a different approach – and it doesn't appear to be working.

As the Skills Strategy Development Group highlighted ahead of the Mulkerrin report, many of those who are seeking work lack the basic numeracy and literacy skills that employers require and the Guernsey College of Further Education 'has taken a lead role in delivering basic skills education on the island'.

Taken at face value, the work by the skills group and Mulkerrin indicate something of grave concern. Bright, happy children enter primary school and an unexpectedly high number leave unable to read properly. They go to the high schools, may or may not be assisted by the extra reading tuition given, and move on to the College of Further Education.

There, the staff find that their students lack the basic literacy and numeracy skills that employers expect and are attempting to rectify that. Frontier Economics were specific: a lead role in delivering basic skills education.

That was before Mulkerrin's far more direct and blunt condemnation of aspects of education, but the conclusion is clear: there is a chain of failure that the CFE is trying to address at the last possible opportunity.

Thank heavens for that – but it is a situation that demands putting right.

There is an urgent need for a Mulkerrin Mark II into the performance of the primaries so that a new Education board can put the entire house in order.