Education to balance speed with need

Quite what the school will consist of is yet to be determined by the review panel but it is important for pupils, teachers and parents that a long-awaited development does not suffer a setback.

Concerns that Treasury and Resources' proposals to look more closely at the value for money of the new primary and secondary schools would mean a delay of up to a year before teaching could start were at the heart of Education's objections to the review.

It was said that any savings identified by the panel would be negated by the delay and the cost of keeping the designers and builders on hold.

A cynic might now question whether the prospect of delay was ramped up by the board to support its objections but it was clear from the reaction of a devastated Education minister – one of the States' conviction politicians – that this was no bluff.

In a sense, he was damned either way and seems to have taken the better course of casting aside his disappointment to work hard with Treasury and ensure the delays were minimised.

This, though, is just the first step.

Appointing a review board with terms of reference acceptable to both sides merely determines where the battle is going to be fought and with what weapons.

The real test for the two departments is how quickly they can bring all the relevant information to the panel and then agree on the recommendations it makes.

Education, in particular, will be under intense pressure to agree to proposals that it might otherwise reject, simply to get the scheme through on time.

That could mean the loss of the enhanced sports hall, space for fewer pupils or a lower build specification.

With the current build allowing for a school that should last for at least 60 years, Education has the difficult task of balancing its understandable urgency to get going and improve life for as many current pupils as possible with what is best for scores of future generations.