Deputies and officers must work as one
THE worst-kept secret in island politics finally spilled onto the airwaves this weekend as the vice president of Education went public with his grievances about the committee's civil servants. By the genteel standards of the unspoken relationship between the elected and the professionals it was an extraordinary attack. Unnamed officers are attempting to influence policy by bringing their own opinions to the table and pursuing their own agendas. The committee is making little headway because their policies are not being translated into action.
And discussions between the two sides have got so heated that reconciliation talks – the political equivalent of marriage counselling – have taken place in a bid, to use Deputy Carl Meerveld's words, to get the officers 'back in line'.
Although tensions undoubtedly exist in other committees it is rare for them to surface in public. But the pressure within Education is extraordinary. Pupils, parents and teachers are demanding answers and, so far, the committee has not come up with any.
Blame no doubt falls on both sides but it is not hard to feel sympathy for the civil servants, not least because they cannot go on radio and vent their own frustrations.
Should they listen to the newly-elected board or follow a resolution as voted on by the last States?
To prevent rogue boards veering wildly from the democratic path it must surely be the latter. The consensus will of all of the States must trump that of five deputies.
If Education want to overturn that and believe that they have the support of the Assembly then their obligation is to come back to the States quickly and explain that they want to put the existing resolutions to one side while they search for new answers. If the States agrees then the authority of the committee to instruct the civil service is absolute.
That has not happened and the result looks bad. For the sake of the schools and everyone with a stake in the future of education the two sides must come together and start working side by side to a common goal. Egos must be put aside and the overriding importance of the task acknowledged.
