Ignoring States vote claim ‘completely false’

In a statement, committee president Matt Fallaize moved to put matters straight.

‘Late on Wednesday an instance was identified where staff had not paused an order for PE kit which arguably should have been paused pending the clearer directions we are seeking at the next States’ meeting.

‘We have been assured that no supplier took any action as a result of this. No new or additional contractual or financial commitments have been established.’

Deputies Andrea Dudley-Owen, Carl Meerveld and Rob Prow, who led the successful ‘pause and review’ requete, claimed on Thursday to have evidence that ESC was disregarding the States resolution and bringing the States into disrepute by going ahead with school uniform orders.

They said it was just one example of how ESC was trying to ‘undermine or subvert’ the recent States decision, and the latest policy letter was an attempt to ‘re-run’ a lengthy debate.

The three deputies believed that ESC was so enamoured with its two-school vision that it was ‘ploughing on regardless’, but Deputy Fallaize countered that that was not the case.

‘We are acting cautiously in our interpretation of the resolutions precisely to avoid any conflict with the States’ directions.

‘Where there is any doubt or where further direction is needed, we are returning to the States through the policy letter we have submitted for the next meeting.

‘This is the most transparent and constructive approach. We are also acting in accordance with legal advice.’

Education on the island was thrown into a tailspin when deputies voted narrowly to ‘pause and review’, and now with the added challenge of the coronavirus, Deputy Fallaize suggested that they should be working together.

‘In following the recent direction of the States, we are working to manage a number of practical challenges of which school uniform is only one.

‘In doing so, we are trying to balance the different interests of students, schools and taxpayers.

‘These challenges are made no easier by the frequent need to divert resources to respond to misleading interventions by a small number of deputies.

‘The three deputies should perhaps also consider that this is a time when our island is trying to deal with the single biggest public health issue we have faced since the Second World War.’

The States are due to debate the latest policy letter from ESC next week.

One of the recommendations is that the review should be limited to just four different educational models.

Education is also keen to retain its one-school concept, whether that applies to two, three or four colleges.