This is not the time to be changing our education system
THOUGH I’m loath to play a ‘Cassandra’ to the erudite musings of both ex-deputy Graham and Deputy Dudley-Owen, I don’t think our poor old Guernsey is in any fit state to afford any redirection for our education system at this time.
We’re all suffering from the two most far-reaching occurrences, Covid and Brexit, since the Occupation, with all the attendant expenses (horrendous) and deprivations. Children are being educated, aren’t they? Teachers can park, can’t they? Contrary to Mr Graham’s jibe, parking is important, considering the amount of things they have to ferry to and fro. I don’t know why Mr Graham is so anti-selection (in any form), that’s life isn’t it?
Supplying an unnecessarily large curriculum choice, so a reluctant student can be wooed into an air guitar course, or Mandarin made easy, etc, won’t cut much ice when young people are job hunting and there are no benefits to fall back on.
We have to cut our cloth, etc.
As for Nick Mann’s jibe about oldies wanting students to study in a hut in a field, does he really think no Guernseyman of any consequence had ever been produced by simple, backward-looking old Guernsey until someone plugged into a computer? Tut, tut, the arrogance of youth. We’ve bitten off more than we can chew with blithe requests for £ millions. There should be a moratorium on spending until the Assembly can see clearly what the expensive upshot is going to mean to all of us. Or we might have to copy the note Labour left for the Tories – sorry mate, no money left.
JILL MARTEL
OAP