Education tale is littered with U-turns
THE debate on secondary education has burned hot and cold since the turn of the century.
This weekend it burst into life as thousands of islanders braved a wintry Sunday in Town to express their anger at the one-school-two-sites plans.
It was an impressive turnout, one which demands the attention of States deputies.
But like last year’s march in support of nurses – which also drew strong numbers – getting the attention of deputies is one thing. Changing their minds is another.
For if they are to switch direction, States members will be conscious that they have jumped off this merry-go-round many times before. And each time the landing hurts confidence and prolongs uncertainty.
The Education Department published its Vision statement, Today’s Learners, Tomorrow’s World, in 2013 putting selective schooling under threat.
Two years later that vision sparked the fateful Your Schools, Your Choice consultation where islanders were less than impressed to learn that their strong support for selective education was merely advisory and the 11-plus was not the right way to determine a child’s future.
The solution in 2016 was four main secondary schools offering all-ability teaching in ‘the Guernsey way’ with ‘maximum flexibility should future generations of political and education leaders seek to further refine the delivery of secondary education’.
Small, at that time, was beautiful.
Not for the last time, however, deputies decided to challenge Education’s vision and a series of amendments derailed the department’s proposals.
Four schools became three, as La Mare paid the price of being the Cinderella of the high schools.
A new committee briefly saw the 11-plus return to favour before, once again, the Assembly refused to back its plans in late 2016.
A year later the same committee got another bloody nose as three schools became two.
Education in Guernsey is littered with so many U-turns it is little wonder islanders despair.
But, if the weekend’s march is anything to go by, many members of the public agree with rank-and-file teachers that one more is required.
Some deputies will look at Sunday’s crowds and agree.