How engaged can teachers be at this stage?

‘Secondary education delay to consult staff’ gives the impression that this is an ongoing, two-way process. Consult: ‘to seek information or advice from (someone, especially an expert or professional)’.

You consult your architect, or doctor, or a tree surgeon. They give you professional advice so you can form a plan of action.

Closer examination of Education’s words, however, shows that they have been careful to avoid the word consult. Instead they plan to ‘engage’.

This, it seems, is a very different proposition. It is less seeking advice and information to feed into moulding the plans and more about telling staff what is going to happen.

The consultation is done and dusted. It was completed last year by the previous committee. Teachers have had their say about what a good secondary school system looks like.

This new engagement is in two stages. First, ‘discussion-based’ sessions with groups of staff just after Easter.

Here key issues will be examined that union leaders have told Education their members want to talk about. Given that no detailed plan is on the table at this point, by its nature these sessions will be general chats rather than specific debates. Perhaps about the importance of a broad curriculum, or the value of 11-18 teaching opportunities. This will not be about class sizes or corridor widths or the number of parking places.

It is only at the second stage that staff will be presented with the full plans and get the opportunity to understand fully how three 11-16 schools and a separate sixth form will operate.

This will take place in May, shortly before the policy letter is published. It is, however, a presentation. Not a two-way dialogue.

Teachers must accept then that, whether this is consultation or engagement, the process is not going to alter the course set by the Education committee.

With a large majority of States deputies keen to back Education the feeling that the chosen four-school system is an inevitability, not a possibility, grows ever greater.