Director of education resigns because of 'emerging family circumstances'

Policy & Resources has announced that Laurie Baker made the decision to leave the senior Education post due to a change in her family circumstances. It was not, she said, because of the recent row over Education appointments.

Mrs Baker had been working part-time for some months and was due to take up the statutory post full-time later this month.

In March this year interviews were held for a permanent director of education. Two of the applicants were Laurie Baker and Clare Sealy.

The interview panel recommended to the committee that Mrs Baker should be appointed as Director of Education and the panel also unanimously recommended that the opportunity should not be lost to recruit Ms Sealy to a role specialising in her areas of expertise, including curriculum, standards and learning.

Subsequently, the committee and senior civil servants agreed that every effort should be made to recruit Ms Sealy.

'It’s my view that the direction of travel for educational change across the Bailiwick is positive, exciting and will make a real difference to the opportunities for the children, young people and families who are fortunate enough to live here,' Mrs Baker said.

'Whilst I am no longer able to fulfil this post, I will be following Guernsey’s transformation journey with interest.'

She said the decision had not been made in haste nor in light of the very recent and public issues relating to Education's recruitment process.

'It has been a very difficult decision for me but it is in the best interests of my family.'

The current Education Services senior leadership team will arrange cover for aspects of the director of education role over the coming months.

It is hoped that Mrs Baker will continue to be able provide strategic educational advice throughout the autumn term on a part-time consultancy basis.

P&R will not begin actively recruiting for a replacement until the new roles of committee secretary and director of operations embed into the organisation.

This will allow time for the committee to develop an appropriate process for filling the role.

A P&R spokesperson said: 'The director of education is a statutory appointment made under the Education Law by P&R.

'Mrs Baker has had to make the difficult personal decision to stand down from this post due to emerging family circumstances, making the relocation to Guernsey untenable.

'It is a great shame that she is unable to take up the role full time at the end of August as she had intended but it is completely understandable that her family should come first. We wish her and her family all the very best for the future.'