Education easily wins vote of no confidence
POLITICIANS in charge of Education convincingly survived a vote of confidence in their ability to lead a review into different schooling models.
It followed the States decision earlier this month to ‘pause and review’ the committee’s under-fire two-school model.
They also won endorsement to set the terms of reference for the review, extend the timeline and limit the scope of the investigation.
It means the review will now focus on four different schooling models.
These are: three 11-18 colleges, two 11-16 colleges and one 11-18 college, three 11-16 colleges and a separate sixth form centre, and the existing model of two 11-18 colleges.
The leaders of the ‘pause and review’ requete had wanted a much more broad-ranging review with greater scope and depth.
But yesterday was positive for Education, Sport & Culture and their only defeat was a States decision that they should not be given a specific budget to carry out the review.
ESC had asked for £2.5m. in order to undertake the analysis.
States members agreed the work on the Guernsey Institute should continue and not be impacted by the schools review. The rebuild of La Mare de Carteret Primary School is also on.
The concept of a single school operating across different sites won support, as did improved engagement with teachers.
In the policy letter from ESC were 12 different motions, and the only one that was unsuccessful was the £2.5m. budget request.
Education member Deputy Rhian Tooley promised that the review would be fair and balanced.
‘I want to give children the bright, brilliant present and future we know they deserve, I want that for all Guernsey’s children. My motives in seeking to continue to be part of ESC that will deliver that review are pure and aimed only at ensuring that children and young people get the best education can offer.’
Deputy Charles Parkinson thought the terms of the requete were too wide, too vague and had an impossible timeline.
He supported the path set out by ESC, and had full confidence in their ability. ‘They are in my opinion very able people, I don’t question for one minute their integrity, I think they’re the best qualified people within the Assembly to undertake the review and therefore they will have my full support.’
Several members mentioned the Covid-19 crisis in their speeches.
Deputy Barry Brehaut declared that it was the wrong time for ‘self-indulgent politicking’, and Deputy Jane Stephens called it ‘the wrong moment for self-promotion as a candidate to ESC’.
Deputy Gavin St Pier did not mince his words. ‘For us as a collective body to engage in a period of blood-letting when we are dealing with a crisis is highly irresponsible and self-indulgent and I urge all members to resist the temptation to do so.’
How deputies voted on the motion to agree that the current committee for Education, Sport & Culture should remain in office
For: Deputies Heidi Soulsby, Lindsay de Sausmarez, Peter Roffey, Victoria Oliver, Dawn Tindall, Barry Brehaut, Rhian Tooley, John Gollop, Charles Parkinson, Lester Queripel, Michelle Le Clerc, Lyndon Trott, Jennifer Merrett, Gavin St Pier, Jane Stephens, Matt Fallaize, Laurie Queripel, Sarah Hansmann-Rouxel, Richard Graham, Chris Green, Mark Dorey, Jonathan Le Tocq, Emilie McSwiggan, Shane Langlois. Total – 24
Against: Deputies Rob Prow, Mark Leadbeater, Joe Mooney, Paul Le Pelley, Carl Meerveld, Mary Lowe, Jeremy Smithies, Barry Paint, David De Lisle. Total – 9
Abstained: Deputies Peter Ferbrache, Neil Inder, Al Brouard, Andrea Dudley-Owen and Alderney representatives Steve Roberts and Alex Snowdon. Total – 6
