Criticism of existing education model demoralises teachers

I AM writing to reply to comments made by Liz Coffey, executive head of Lisia School, and Deputy Richard Graham, vice-president of Education, Sport & Culture, who responded to my previous letter.

Mrs Coffey states, ‘I talked to many residents who attended the recent drop-ins. It is unfortunate that the correspondent has sought to represent in this way any responses that I gave to questions asked’.

For the avoidance of doubt, Liz Coffey came to the meeting area at Les Beaucamps High School drop-in to collect a drink from the refreshments area. She was asked to speak to my wife and I, as the civil servant we were talking to could not answer a particular question about provision for sixth-form study. She spent about 40 minutes talking to us. We apologised to her for taking up so much of her time. She then left and we remained talking to the few residents who had attended; mostly neighbours known to us.

We were there from 15.10 until 16.50. We also attended the St Sampson’s drop-in, on behalf of a family member, for a similar amount of time between 15.00 and 17.00. Liz Coffey was not present during that time at St Sampson’s.

I stand by my recollection of the comments she made, particularly as that recollection is confirmed by my wife, who was a party to the conversation and who is a supply teacher with an excellent memory. Frankly, we were surprised by the candid nature of her remarks.

No member of the ESC showed up at either session.

In his response, Deputy Graham covers a lot of old ground and his fixation with The Cotswold School, which he manages to name no less than 18 times in one letter, comes through very clearly. I ask readers this question: who is deciding the future of Guernsey’s education system? Is it the head teacher of an English comprehensive school, upon whom Deputy Graham appears to rely heavily, or should it not be the people of Guernsey, who have yet to be consulted through the ballot box?

I would highlight just one statement by Deputy Graham that in any one year’s cohort of 250, between 10% and 15% of students will have a record of entitlement to free school meals, while between 10% and 20% will be on the Send register. In the latest available Ofsted report of the school, it records:

l ‘The proportion of disadvantaged students supported by the pupil premium is well below the national average. This is additional government funding for students who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.’

l ‘The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is well below average.’

As an example, the UK government figures specific to The Cotswold School state, ‘Pupils eligible for free school meals at any time during the past 6 years stand at 10.4%. The figures for mainstream secondary schools in England are 27.7%.’

In a recent email from Deputy Graham circulated by him to a number of douzaines, he states: ‘...there is a real possibility that the next States will direct a return to the sub-standard, underperforming and expensive model from which we have begun to withdraw’. May I remind Deputy Graham that it is ESC, in collaboration with P&R, who hold the Education purse strings, and such comments can only be demoralising for our hard-working island teachers, who are expected to deliver an education model that the majority of them do not support.

P. S. Please note the revised email address. Please may I ask anyone who responded via the email address published with my previous letter to re-send those emails to the below address.

BRENDAN MURPHY

guernseymurphy@googlemail.com