Challenge raised to ESC's powers over private colleges
THE three private colleges are backing a deputy’s attempt to limit the States’ control over them in a new Education Law which members will debate today.
Education, Sport & Culture wants the new law to include a range of controls on Blanchelande, Elizabeth College and The Ladies’ College, including on curriculum, inspection regimes and additional learning needs.
Lyndon Trott was concerned that the proposals amounted to greater control over the colleges by ESC, which are part-funded by a grant from the States.
‘An increased level of control, prescription and direction by ESC and/or the director of Education over the independent education sector would suggest ESC has concerns that the independent education sector is not functioning as it should. Evidence from the grant-aided colleges’ inspection reports suggests otherwise,’ he said.
All three were rated as ‘excellent’ by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in their most recent inspections.
Deputy Trott, a former director of Elizabeth College, who stood down last year after 12 years’ service, is proposing to insert a new definition into the law clarifying the position of the colleges.
Under his amendment, they would be defined as ‘accredited independent schools’, where the head teacher, bursar or any member of their governing bodies was a member of a relevant organisation in the UK independent education sector, and the college was subject to the inspection regime of the Independent Schools Inspectorate or another appropriate inspection regime.
‘Accredited independent schools should be independent of ESC and the director of Education, apart from their obligations for safeguarding,’ he said.
The colleges said they were fully supportive of the amendments.
‘The colleges have worked closely together and recognise that an intensive period of consultation with our governors and directors, a range of deputies and with ESC, has meant that the amendments have been submitted later than preferred.
‘The colleges have a consistently excellent record of providing education for almost a third of the young people on the island and believe the amendments will help to ensure that we will continue to be an integral part of Guernsey’s educational landscape.’
