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ESC faces requete threats and “highly technical” questions

ESC faces requete threats and “highly technical” questions

Wednesday 14 February 2024

ESC faces requete threats and “highly technical” questions

Wednesday 14 February 2024


The island’s plans for the future of education are picking up momentum, and it would be shame if politicians derailed the work being done, according to the Director of Education and President of ESC.

Teachers and staff feel like they have stability and are, for the first time in a long time, positive about the future of education, according to Nick Hynes, who spoke to Express alongside the President of the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen.

“Staff ffeel like they have some certainty and stability and that this is actually going to happen, [including] the institute staff who’ve had 30 odd years of false starts,” said Mr Hynes. 

But also secondary colleagues who have gone through a period of uncertainty. 

"By the end of the summer all of our... staff across secondary schools will have designated positions into three 11-16 schools and a separate sixth form centre. 

"By the end of next week there’ll be [hundreds of staff] who know exactly what post they're going to have in the new structure... and that's delivering a really high level of certainty. 

The funding for the foundations of a new campus at Les Ozouets was agreed by the States of Guernsey in January. Mr Hynes said spades could be in the ground by August this year putting Education on track to start shifting students over to the campus by December 2026 and completely opening the campus by September 2027. 

In the interim, sixth form students will be moved to La Mare de Carteret. More on that tomorrow... 

Nick Hynes Milly Dudley Owen

Pictured: Deputy Dudley-Owen and Mr Hynes.

Despite being disappointed that the Transforming Education Programme has been split up, it’s great to see some momentum developing said Deputy Dudley-Owen. 

However, she said it's unfortunate that rumours of requetes are circling while the Committee deals with several rule 14 questions. 

"A mere week after people left the Assembly... to have threats of a requete and a significant number of highly technical questions landing on our desks, when officer time should be focused on progressing the will of the States, has undoubtedly been disappointing,” said Deputy Dudley-Owen. 

“The questions that we have received are all in areas around cost around space and they're complex - it's actually quite disheartening that the outcomes for the students... and value for money for the taxpayer [aren’t mentioned]. 

"The delving nature of the questions asking for data that goes back five years on a comparative basis means that officers have to spend hours and hours of time.” 

"I don’t mind being held to account in my job,” added Mr Hynes. 

"But for the last ten years, if not longer, within the secondary phase, staff are being asked to deliver things around a culture of uncertainty and instability, and trying to deliver a consistent, stable education system with one hand tied behind your back.  

And still being held to account by what you're delivering is really difficult and challenging.  

What we need is a period of stability... and any change now would throw that up in the air again. 

A series of rule 14 questions and answers are expected to be published later this week and it's understood that at least two requetes are in development.

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