A road test for Education's big vision
WITH the new school term starting next week comes the acid test of Education's assurance that it could close schools without damaging children's learning.
Indeed, the department went further than that and said closing St Sampson's Infants and, eventually, St Andrew's Primary would benefit the children by placing them in an improved learning environment.
The bitter battle waged before the States decision to close the schools was taken in October saw opponents cast doubt on how easily the two schools could be absorbed.
Most of the hostility was confined to the two establishments up for closure, with a quieter response from parents of the schools that will take on the extra pupils.
That will change as, from this week, parents at schools such as the Vale Primary, La Houguette and St Martin's judge for themselves the effect of the closures.
The Vale Primary will on Wednesday see an extra 70 children walk through its gates, where hard work has carved out two new classrooms, better toilets and a new entrance to cope with the influx.
A three-form entry across all years at the Vale conforms with Education's philosophy that bigger is better in that pupils get more opportunities in the classroom and in sport when in larger year groups.
However, the first test of the bigger schools will not come in the classroom or sports field but in the surrounding roads and car parks.
Drop-off and pick-up times for younger pupils are already difficult at many island schools. Lanes and junctions struggle to cope with a high volume of traffic in short bursts as parents prefer to hand Little Johnny or Jane directly to the teacher rather than ask a sometimes nervous or tearful four-year-old to go by bus or walk.
As a result, the enlarged car park at the Vale will be tested to the full and parents who choose to ignore the advice about finding a better way to get to school than by car will find the logistics of the new operation tested long before the pupils reach the classroom.
But it is there that Education's grander vision will be put to a more serious test. Parents across the island will be alert to any signs that bigger schools mean bigger problems.
