Self-review system will not quiet critics

So far so good. Critics have long complained that while schools are subject to review, the department and its officers are not, allowing inefficiencies, bloat and performance levels which would not be tolerated in the classrooms.

An independent and rigorous inspection should go some way to showing whether the distrust of Grange House is justified or not.

But how independent will this review be? If, as it seems, Denis Mulkerrin's idea of an Ofsted inspection is a non-starter because the inspection service does not investigate government departments, who else could provide an impartial review?

In June, the minister gave an update on the department's Vision to the States. In it he talked of plans for the department to be inspected by an external body.

The focus at the time was on a 'validated self-review process, which is already well-established in our schools and services'.

So the department would review itself under the guidance of an outside body.

The body mentioned was Education Scotland, which explains the process in these terms: 'Validated self-evaluation is not an inspection. It is a voluntary process which aims to support and challenge the work of education authorities to improve the quality and provision of outcomes for learners.' It goes on to talk of a partnership led by the education authority not inspectors.

The Mulkerrin report acknowledges that self-evaluation is a system that Guernsey is used to and which can work well in schools. However, done badly, such reports were carefully written to avoid embarrassment to individual teachers and schools.

It seems unlikely that a self-evaluation system will bring the sort of 'tear up the floorboards' review demanded by Education's critics. That would mean devolving power to schools and, inevitably, would bring into question some of their own jobs.