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Meerveld's criticism "illogical and meaningless" - ESC

Meerveld's criticism

Tuesday 27 August 2019

Meerveld's criticism "illogical and meaningless" - ESC

Tuesday 27 August 2019


Education’s proposals for one school over two sites is driven mainly by a desire to save money, a long-time critic has said.

However, the Education, Sport & Culture Committee has slammed Deputy Carl Meerveld for his criticism, calling it “illogical” and “meaningless”.

The former ESC Vice-President has questioned the motives behind that Committee’s proposed reforms, which he said are motivated mainly by the desire to save money. 

“Following the release of more details, it is possible to analyse and understand the consequences of supposed cost savings. While I have always been sceptical of the practicality of the 2-school model, even I am shocked by the results.

“I believe that the 2-school model is a product of the desire of some P&R members to reduce expenditure on education. Plus, the current Education Committee's desire to pursue social engineering through an ideologically driven education system.

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Pictured: Deputy Meerveld has drafted a sursis to suspend the States' debate on Education until November. 

“Whilst, large schools work in the UK, where there is ample land to build them and high-volume transportation networks to service them. Guernsey's constrained environment was inevitably going to require significant compromises. However, the scale of compromises the current Committee is proposing, and their likely effect on the education and the learning environment of our young people is staggering. 

“Proposals from the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture propose halving the amount of land available to students, halving the library space, reducing the grass sports fields by over eighty per cent. School/sports hall space will be reduced by forty per cent, jamming students together with an inevitable negative impact on our young people's school experience, and more crucially academic results and soft skills.”

Deputy Meerveld said there had been no assurances from Education that Guernsey’s road network could support two larger schools and that it would be “utterly irresponsible” to approve the committee’s plans without detailed infrastructure and construction plans. 

Education hit back at Deputy Meerveld over his criticism, which the committee says is misplaced. 

“Deputy Meerveld’s open letter demonstrates a serious lack of understanding about the ways schools operate and a fixation on elements which are largely irrelevant to students’ experience and outcomes,” the committee said. 

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Pictured: ESC has published its timetable and transition plans should its proposals be approved next month. 

“The conclusions Deputy Meerveld has drawn from the data are illogical and meaningless. Bizarrely, he seems to assume that the quality of facilities to which students have access is irrelevant. Instead, he wants to maximise the number of square metres across the schools, regardless of how frequently the space is used and regardless of gross inequality of space across sites. 

“Those working in education know that this is far from the most relevant consideration: otherwise the College of Further Education, spread across three sites with large amounts of land at Les Ozouets, would be the jewel in the crown of the education estate, instead of urgently requiring investment. It is entirely appropriate that the total area covered by the new schools is less than the total area covered by the existing schools: space can be used much more effectively, without compromising provision.”

Education said school halls and libraries were used inefficiently at present and that they would be used more efficiently in the future. 

That will also be the case for PE facilities, which Steve Sharman, on behalf of the Guernsey Sports Commission, said could accommodate a “word leading approach” to physical education.

“Any PE specialist who arrives on the Island in the next two years and was presented with the facility portfolio planned as well as a tailor made strategic solution designed to broaden the curriculum and elective offer by linking member sports to the Schools would be able to create a world-leading approach to PE and sport for our young people,” he said. 

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