Education rows ‘bring disrespect on whole States’

Members of Education, Sport & Culture and the deputies behind the alternative model have engaged in fierce debate on social media and in lengthy ‘All Deputies’ email exchanges.

Both groups have accused the other of spreading misinformation and deceiving the public with inaccurate accounts of meetings, attacks on character and the rubbishing of each others’ proposals.

Deputy Heidi Soulsby has become ‘increasingly angry and frustrated’ at the way things have played out, which she said had shown the political system to be ‘past its sell-by date’.

‘All it has done is called into question the integrity, honesty, respect and empathy of the States as a whole and we are all tarred by the same brush as a consequence,’ she said.

Deputy Rob Prow said parents had real concerns and frustrations about ‘an education debate being conducted by email which does not appear to answer the practical questions that parent and students are asking’.

‘It is hardly surprising that some of the public are upset and confused,’ he said.

Deputy Lindsay De Sausmarez said this was ‘too important a decision for personal or political allegiances to factor in any deputy’s decision-making’.

Deputy Victoria Oliver said some of the behaviour resembled ‘schoolyard bickering’ and was doing nothing to inform debate.

Deputy Laurie Queripel said it was natural that ‘passions can run high, personalities can clash, agendas can come into play, spin can be employed and defensive postures can be adopted’.

‘However, ultimately these traits just get in the way. What we need is honesty, level-headed analysis and politics devoid of ego.’

Deputies Chris Green and Dawn Tindall said the debate was always likely to generate emotive responses, but said the politicking had gone too far.

The States is set to debate the direction of education on Wednesday.

Full story in today's Guernsey Press