'Bigger schools will not limit high achievers'
CONCERNS that having a wider range of pupils at each secondary school will 'limit opportunities and drag down high achievers' dominated Education's first public consultation meeting over its three-school transformation plans, but were dismissed as an 'urban myth' by the committee's president.
Public consultation over Education's preferred plans began yesterday, with 20 meetings scheduled over a 10-day period.
Held at St Sampson's High, there was a complete non-attendance at the 4.30pm meeting, while more than 50 people came to the 7.30pm presentation.
Education wants to build a 960-capacity high school at
La Mare de Carteret, while converting the Grammar into a sixth form college and Les Ozouets
into a training college as part of plans that are estimated to cost £108m.
However, several parents at the evening presentation felt that increasing the number of pupils at each school would make it harder for teaching staff to cater for individual needs and challenging the most academically talented.
Education president Deputy Paul Le Pelley rejected claims that these pupils would be 'dragged down' by being in a mixed-ability school.
'It is an urban myth. In my experience children are raised up by having cleverer people alongside them,' he said.
