We can deliver schools mandate without VP, says ESC president
ELECTING Deputy Bob Murray to the vacant seat on Policy & Resources would have ‘no material impact’ on delivering the Education Committee’s mandate, the president of ESC has said.
Concerns have been raised by a number of deputies that if Deputy Murray, the vice-president of ESC, was to step down from Education to join P&R, it could have serious implications on the completion of the secondary and post-16 education programme.
One of those members was Education Committee member Deputy Andy Cameron, who said he was worried that, following Deputy Murray’s assurance that he would deliver the project to completion, ‘jumping ship’ would mean that accountability on the project would be lost.
ESC president Andrea Dudley-Owen, pictured, said yesterday that it was premature to consider the impact of Deputy Murray leaving the committee, and that its plans would still be completed.
‘I am absolutely confident that his departure – as sad as we would be to lose a valued colleague – would have no material impact on the delivery of all elements of our wide-ranging mandate, including the reorganisation of secondary and post-16 education,’ she said.
‘The way that I have organised the committee’s workload is such that we have resilience, precisely so there is no single point of failure for any of our workstreams that any member is the representative for.’
P&R unanimously nominated Deputy Murray as its preferred replacement last week, but he now faces a contest at the end of the month, with former P&R president Deputy Gavin St Pier nominated by Deputies Yvonne Burford and Marc Leadbeater.
Deputy Dudley-Owen said ESC was fully across its brief and received weekly updates from the director of the education transformation project.
‘I would also point out that the current posturing is about politics – the politics of who occupies what positions on States committees.
‘It is not, and should not be, about Education, and I am dismayed that something as important as this is being dragged into this election.
‘We have a clear vision and purpose through the education strategy, and stable leadership for our Education Office and wider workforce from the director of Education.
‘We are focused on continuing to deliver all our programmes of work and will not be distracted from this task.’
The election for the position on P&R is due to take place at the States meeting on 23 November.
