Well, is it Mulkerrin's way or not?
ANYONE who listened to the whole of the BBC Guernsey radio phone-in on Sunday will have been struck by a couple of points – but they had little to do with the proposed closure of two primary schools.
ANYONE who listened to the whole of the BBC Guernsey radio phone-in on Sunday will have been struck by a couple of points – but they had little to do with the proposed closure of two primary schools.
Although minister Robert Sillars and non States member Denis Mulkerrin were there to face islanders' questions about that, much more actually hinged on the wider principles of education and good or bad schools.
And in that, Mr Mulkerrin took the lead. As a leading academic and former top head teacher, he is well qualified to say that as long as you have excellent leadership and outstanding teachers, class sizes and quality of buildings are irrelevant.
He also made it clear – very clear – that his nomination as a non States member to Education was viewed with horror by the staff.
The two hour programme also revealed Deputy Sillars' obvious sincerity and belief in what his board are proposing – and his total reliance on what his Grange House officers tell him.
That is not criticism. He is a successful businessman, not a teaching professional.
But the background and selection of most of the senior team at Education are the antithesis of the Mulkerrin Mantra of devolution to and empowerment of schools and heads and a withering focus on recruiting top teachers. And either improving performance or weeding out the duffers.
Concerns under the previous board and director of education that Education had lost its way to the detriment of pupils have not yet been
allayed by this board and it is possible to discern a split among the politicians over what might be called the centrist versus devolved approach.
Mulkerrin's way gets results. It is what parents want and taxpayers demand. It also requires an uncompromising sense of purpose inimical with a civil service that has already been identified as reluctant to have difficult conversations.
In addition, many jobs at Grange House depend on doing things – slowly – for the schools.
So the issue for Education's deputies is a simple one.
Are they backing Mr Mulkerrin in his campaign for quality through performance management or taking the easier route of the status quo?
