States has decided to upset and ignore the faith schools
I READ with sheer amazement that the States of Guernsey, in the name of discrimination, want the ‘faith’ schools to have a head teacher that is not necessarily Catholic. Their wish is that, regardless of merit, the head teacher need not be Catholic. I want to do a Victor Meldrew. ‘Are they mad?’ is so appropriate.
I firmly believe that States schools should be places of learning and attainment where anyone can have their child or children admitted and be given an outstanding education. A States school should be better, more rounded, more successful than private schools. We actually used to have a secondary school which was equalling the successes of the private schools. It was called the Grammar School – it was a school to be proud of and it was a States school. We the people completed a very long and very complicated questionnaire, it took us hours and once the results of that survey were published 62% of us said whatever else you do we want the Grammar School to be retained. There was a march and a rally I believe, and I may be wrong, there were over 400 people demonstrating against a subsequent plan. Parents did not want it, teachers did not want it and children did not want it. But the States knew best.
Then there was an election and most of the Education deputies did not make the cut. But horror of horrors, the new tranche still think it a good idea to destroy and replace, they think it’s good to close down one school and add on to another three to accommodate the displaced children. Then not content with causing chaos in the secondary schools they want to cause exactly the same problems in the primary schools.
At the moment Vauvert and Amherst are bursting at the seams, with cupboards being used as libraries to free up a little space for teaching. But not content with that they decide to upset and ignore the faith schools. If ruling that another faith, or no faith, head teacher be selected, is that not discrimination? We are supposed to accept people of any faith, creed or colour – nowhere does it say any faith other than Catholic.
Three things should happen now: 1. The States should step back and put back all secondary schools and have a 10-year break to come up with a logical plan. 2. They should stop playing fast and loose with primary education. 3. This is the biggest – on a vote of no confidence, we should be able to dismiss the States and have another election. Perhaps if they were in danger of losing their meal ticket they’d listen to the electorate because at the moment they are not.
ROSIE HENDERSON