P&R submit Education amendments 'to ensure value for money'
TO ensure value for money and an evident need for capital, the Policy & Resources committee has today lodged three amendments to Education, Sport & Culture's 'Transforming Education' policy letter.
The first amendment, which seeks to ensure the new models for secondary and post-16 education deliver value for money, would require the Education committee to provide detailed, evidence-based proposals balancing the costs of the capital projects and outcomes for the students.
It would also ensure that the necessary funding comes from identified sources and is clearly allocated to specific areas of the transformation programme.
The second and third amendments call on ESC to provide detailed evidence for significant capital projects which fall outside of the secondary and post-16 models, and outside of the resolutions previously agreed by the States in January 2018.
Specifically, they relate to the proposed rebuild of La Mare de Carteret Primary School and the potential development of a 'community hub' which were not part of the proposals agreed by the States last year.
P&R said it was vital that this work does not delay the development of the secondary and post-16 education models and the committee will offer support to make sure the necessary research for those projects can happen quickly once they have demonstrated that they meet standards.
'[We are] supportive of the new secondary and post-16 models and [are] keen to make sure they can progress and aren't subject to unnecessary delays that will inevitably cause more uncertainty for many students, parents and teachers,' P&R president Deputy Gavin St Pier said.
'We are also alive to some of the concerns voiced about ensuring this significant spend is properly justified and scrutinised.'
The States meeting including Education's proposals is due to start on Wednesday.
See the full policy letter and lodged amendments here.
