ESC president refuses to release ‘premature’ report
EDUCATION has refused to release a report completed by its predecessors which would cast a light on the different secondary education models.
Details emerged from deputies during the States debate this week about the report, which apparently shows that the three-school model with a separate sixth form favoured by many of those voted in would have the highest annual revenue costs.
They were all given copies of the report by the outgoing committee and have also had a presentation on the subject by the new committee.
ESC now wants to include a four-school model as a ‘benchmark’ in its review work.
The new Education president, Andrea Dudley-Owen, led the pause-and-review requete, which effectively sank the two-school approach.
In her speech for the role she said she was committed to work the predecessor’s review up into a presentable format for it to be communicated more widely.
‘An interim report on the secondary education review was circulated to States members-elect by the former president of the committee, Matt Fallaize, on his last day in office,’ she said.
‘The report is a snapshot of the work done prior to the election. It was not a natural breakpoint in the review and was it appears produced purely because of the looming election and circulated because it was the former president’s last opportunity to do so before leaving office.
‘It was woefully premature and took no account of staff feedback – because workshops with staff did not conclude until four weeks later on 17 November.
‘The report was also circulated before the employee representative groups had been given a reasonable chance to comment on the content.’
She said ESC will be bringing a policy letter to the States ‘within the next few months’.
‘The policy letter is the appropriate document for publication containing all relevant information, where we can set out our recommended direction for the States to consider.
‘Our committee’s work in bringing considered, pragmatic proposals to the States which can be supported by staff and the community must not be hamstrung by the last-minute actions of the former committee.
‘It could be said that the circulation of an interim report on the eve of leaving the States was ill-judged. The question of publishing the interim report has got less to do with openness and transparency and more to do with fairness and inclusivity in regards to the staff engagement and fair representation of their feedback.’
She said the interim report in itself added little value to the secondary education review.
‘If there is a clamour from the general public to see the content of a half-finished report produced in those circumstances, the committee can make it available at the appropriate time but it would be published with a serious health warning about the state of play at the time of its production and readers would be especially reminded that the voice of teachers and other school staff is absent from its pages.’
ESC has said that the current four-school model is not a viable long-term solution and its addition to the review is purely for the purpose of being able to compare other models with the position today.
