Education's reluctance is now clear
In carrying out detailed research that underpins the island's strategy, the States Skills Development Group recognises that academic achievement is only one measure of performance and that knowledge, skills and attitudes all play their part in making young people work-ready and keen to acquire more skills in the workplace.
In carrying out detailed research that underpins the island's strategy, the States Skills Development Group recognises that academic achievement is only one measure of performance and that knowledge, skills and attitudes all play their part in making young people work-ready and keen to acquire more skills in the workplace.
Few would disagree with that. Yet in what is evidently a carefully-written report given the sensitivities of some departments involved, it goes on to say that the political board of the Education Department 'has established a curriculum that aims to help young people become confident individuals; successful learners; effective contributors; responsible citizens'.
Again, very few islanders would take issue with that as an objective – but might question why the department does not also have 'well-educated' as one of its aspirations for the young people for which it has responsibility.
And this is not some academic nicety. The very maths and English GCSEs that Education masks in its partial disclosure of exam results reflect the skills that employers view as a minimum.
As the report says, 'Basic literacy and numeracy skills are the practical skills that we use to write job application letters, understand instructions, do mental arithmetic and read simple charts and tables. These are seen by many employers as the absolute minimum level of skills that they would expect from their employees. As such there is a strong link between an individual's level of basic skills and their employment potential.'
It also notes that 50% of job seekers surveyed had no formal qualifications and therefore do not necessarily have the basic numeracy and literacy skills that employers require.
In another telling sentence in the same report, the skills strategy says that 'The Guernsey College of Further Education has taken a lead role in delivering basic skills education on the island'.
That looks suspiciously like saying that after the secondary schools have failed at least some pupils, the CFE is trying to pick up the pieces.
And while numbers are not quantified, the report indicates that 4% each of 16-, 17- and 18-year-old school leavers are NEETs – not in education, employment or training.
That represents hundreds of young islanders and it now seems clear why Education is resisting full disclosure of exam results.
