Ideology at work on both sides of Education debate

1. I feel the authors of this letter have made the all too common mistake of presuming that the opposing side in the debate are driven by ‘ideology’ while they themselves are (of course) just talking about ‘common sense’. It was ideology which created the 11-plus originally, along with now-discredited beliefs about how intelligence works. It is ideology which left Guernsey with a selective system which disadvantaged the majority of students. There is clearly ideology at work on both sides of the debate.

It takes critical thinking to favour a system which isn’t familiar from experience, and to look beyond biases and to explore something new which has the potential to improve education for everyone. There are shining examples of tertiary establishments working extremely effectively, but it appears to best suit the authors’ ideology to concentrate on those which have not fulfilled their potential.

2. Dick Taylor’s segregation of learning faculties. I applaud the suggestion of a Faculty of Advanced Academic Study incorporating A-level and International Baccalaureate Level 3 qualifications. However, there is a notable omission of an additional Level 3 qualification currently delivered on-island. According to the Which Website (Which?, 2015), 95% of universities and colleges in the UK accept BTec students with the highest mark equivalent to 168 Ucas points (Pearson, 2017) equivalent to 3 A* at A-level (Ucas, 2017). UK wide, BTecs are no longer perceived as an inferior qualification; if we are to create an education system that is future-proof and meets the needs of all students, I suggest further research and an open mind is needed before dismissing this high level study pathway.

3. The environment of a proposed tertiary college. The authors make the sweeping statement that with the arm’s length role of a lecturer, the student is left to his/her own devices and so the structure is not ideal for A-level students.

I am not disputing that this may be the case in some establishments; I experienced the same thing during my time at a sixth form college where the provision was restricted to A-levels.

Who is to say that a new Guernsey learning environment should follow the model the authors label as a tertiary college?

Currently, students studying at Guernsey College of Further Education have access to a wealth of support and pastoral opportunities. From class tutorials, Ucas support, one-to-one sessions and access to an excellent, hardworking and caring Student Support Services team. The college staff work extremely hard to provide a caring learning environment and have forged excellent working relationships with local industry and external support systems to offer a wealth of experiences and support beyond the classroom syllabus. The college works with the Digital Greenhouse, The Hub and Action for Children, to name but a few.

I know that a similar set of services and opportunities exist at the Grammar School and other sixth form providers.

4. The paragraph that begins ‘Please forgive us if this comment offends…’ smacks of paternalistic concerns about separating children and adults. Are the authors suggesting all adults are a danger to children?

The CofFE has successfully hosted students from aged 14 (links students) to 92 (community education) without incident. Outside of learning establishments, children interact with adults every day; this type of interaction enables them to grow as people and prepares them for the world outside school or college. I’m not sure I understand the point the authors are trying to make.

To summarise: We have a golden opportunity to take the best practices and experience from all of the island’s current educational institutions, the chance to create an exceptional and enduring education system that caters for all students, delivering excellent learning outcomes to prepare our island for the future. Let’s do this right. rather than dismiss options due to a lack of critical thinking and understanding, a lack of proper due diligence, or because of a funding time pressure based on real-estate.

DAN HUNTER,

Parishioner of Castel.

Bibliography:

n Pearson, 2017. Comparing BTEC to other qualifications. [Online]

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/support-topics/understanding-our-qualifications/comparing-btec-to-other-qualifications/btec-ucas-points.html

n Ucas, 2017. The Ucas Tariff calculator.

https://www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator

n Which?, 2015. Can you get into university if you’re studying BTECs?

https://university.which.co.uk/advice/ucas-application/can-you-get-into-university-if-youre-studying-btecs