“Devil in the detail” as Education reveals its preferred school model

Tuesday 09 March 2021

An education union is eager to see how politicians turn their proposed three 11-16 school model into reality, with its regional representative saying the devil will be in the detail.

ESC announced yesterday that it’s leaning towards an 11-16 school model, with a single sixth form centre on the same site as the Guernsey Institute. However, the committee is still currently under States resolution to bring a comprehensive review of different education models to the Assembly.

National Education Union regional representative Sean McManus told Express that the union wants to work closely with ESC in the weeks and months ahead. 

“ESC’s recent letter to staff sets out the broad parameters of their current plans for the next stages of the Transforming Education Programme,” he said.

“But, as ever, the devil will be in the detail of how this is turned into reality.”

Pictured: ESC wants to create three 11-16 schools and develop a post-16 campus which will incorporate a sixth form centre and the Guernsey Institute.

“Together with other unions on NCTLG (the Negotiating Committee for Teachers and Lecturers in Guernsey), the NEU looks forward to engaging with ESC over the coming months,” said Mr McManus.

“[The NEU] looks forward to meaningful discussions around the plans within the pre-existing agreed framework for negotiation.”

He said staff across the Education spectrum will need to have their voices heard before the union can take a firmer stance on ESC's proposed model. 

Meanwhile, Deputy Peter Roffey raised concerns about the costs of ESC’s plans following the announcement. 

So the plan is to replace one 4 school model with another. Detail will be crucial but biggest worry is that this will carry very high revenue costs. Coupled with strict budgetary limits this will require savings somewhere. What will give? The devil will be in the detail.

— Peter John "Rufus" Roffey (@PeterRoffey5) March 8, 2021

"It does worry me that it has been released without detail," said Deputy Roffey. "We don't know what the revenue costs are going to be, it does seem likely that four schools will be expensive to run."

"We'll have to wait to see the details in May," he said. We can expect a more detailed evaluation of the proposals from the NEU and other States Deputies when the full Policy Letter is published on 10 May, but as more initial responses are harvested from education staff, we’ll be able to build a better picture of how it has been received in the coming days.