Education debate needs to move on
HAS education become Guernsey’s very own Brexit?
It’s not a perfect analogy for the predicament in which the island finds itself, but consider for a moment the UK and Brexit.
The UK has been racked by years of polarised politics on Brexit. On one side you had the remainers. On the other, the Brexiteers. The fallout from the 2016 EU referendum had become corrosive, bitter and plain unpleasant.
That has changed for many now the UK has left the EU. It’s remarkable how the national conversation seems to have largely moved on –although it would be wrong not to acknowledge lingering sorrow about Brexit in some quarters. But even among those who hated the decision to leave, the focus is now on trying to make the best of it.
Now return back to Guernsey.
A protest march is due to take place this weekend amid the planned overhaul of the States’s secondary education system.
A requete seeking a ‘pause’ to the changes has been lodged. Meanwhile, social media is driving polarised positions on this model or that model. At times, it’s bewildering – and worrying for children and their families.
How do we get out of this situation? The risk is that we will remain trapped in ever decreasing circles unless a way forward is found. It’s no good for anyone. A dialling down of rhetoric and a determination to work together could help. So could acknowledging that the vast majority of people on both sides are well-intentioned, including those civil servants tasked with turning policy into reality. Chucking around unwarranted abuse is no way to act.
Ultimately, it’s about how do we agree to disagree in a constructive way? It’s never easy when passions are so high on subjects such as education, which really do matter. At least an ambition towards this could be positive.
Turning back to the UK. What broke the Brexit logjam? A general election. Could that also be what ultimately decides the fate of education in Guernsey? Or will this current crop of politicians manage to find a way ahead before then? Time is running short and the voters are watching closely.