Only Ofsted can restore confidence
THE resignation of Denis Mulkerrin is a body blow to the credibility of this Education Department.
The highly respected former head teacher's appointment as a non-States member reassured those who feared that, despite the departure of the former minister and the discredited chief officer, nothing would change while civil servants at Grange House maintained their grip on the department.
The Mulkerrin report was a charter for reform, a manifesto for change, which was embraced by the States and welcomed by islanders for providing a vision of excellence.
Without its architect among Education's ranks, the fear is that nobody is fighting hard for its principles and the naysayers who were happy to hide appalling GCSE results behind red tape will win the day.
Generations of children lost out because of that attitude and Education must convince the island that the reformist charter is still on track.
To do so it has to answer fully the charges at the heart of Mr Mulkerrin's resignation: that it is still taking far too long to appoint teachers; that schools should be given far more autonomy; and, crucially, that Ofsted should inspect how the civil service operates the department.
His most damning charge is that the failure to get on with the first two is because of a stifling bureaucracy. It is in the interests of civil servants at Grange House to stymie plans for schools' autonomy because to implement change would weaken their power base.
His case is supported by the latest staffing figures, which show that while teacher numbers have fallen by 75 (from 911 in 2010 to 836 last year) civil servant number have dropped by just six (from 193 to 187).
Mr Mulkerrin has lost confidence in the department. It has done some good work but, on several crucial fronts, it is failing to deliver.
If the Education minister and his colleagues are to regain the public confidence lost as a consequence, the minimum requirement is to invite Ofsted in to review the department.
Anything less will add weight to the claims that this is a political department led by its civil servants, not the other way around.
