Education cannot afford to relax yet
AT 4.30 in the afternoon it was hardly a surprise that no one attended the first of Education's meetings to discuss the future of secondary schools in the island. It was little better yesterday with just one attendee. Working parents or those who have just picked their children up from school rarely have an hour to spare just before teatime. About 50 attended the second meeting at the same venue on Tuesday evening, which is better but hardly overwhelming.
How should the committee interpret the lukewarm response? As a sign that they have got their proposals broadly right? An indication that no one cares?
If there has been a muted response to Education's plans it is probably because each family will have a different response.
The reaction will differ depending on the age of their children, where they live, how the parents view selection, whether they can afford private schooling and so on.
It takes some analysis of the proposals to understand the implications even for one family, let alone the whole island.
Over seven years much of the island's school population will be shifted. But for many pupils it will make almost no difference beyond where they might study at post-16.
So can Education relax? Is it, as the president hopes, just a case of listening to the feedback and 'finessing' their plans accordingly?
Unlikely. For there are some major battlegrounds to come.
Firstly, over the future of scholarships and grants to the colleges, which are yet to be unveiled. Secondly, over whether the island can afford to rebuild La Mare (and what facilities it should have).
And lastly over the plans for post-16 education, which are still to be fleshed out.
So while the initial response might be underwhelming it will take time for people and politicians to pick at the plans and find their voice. Only then can Education judge quite how difficult a journey it will be taking this ambitious plan from genesis to execution in a relatively short period of time.
