Some support for ESC to remain

Friday 06 March 2020

Members of Education, Sport & Culture will spend the weekend deciding whether they should step down from their roles, with an announcement now expected on Monday, as they receive some support from political colleagues to remain in post.

The decision comes after deputies voted in favour of a requête, calling for a 'pause and review' on the current model for the future of secondary education in Guernsey.

The plans were debated for 30 hours and eventually won with 18 votes to 17.

That means ESC will have to stop work on its proposed Lisia School model while it looks into alternative options, and report back to the States by the end of the year.

Although the committee is likely to be completely revamped following the election in June, it is not yet clear who will run ESC until the end of the political term.

Pictured: The current ESC committee.

Some have been calling for the current committee to step down to allow the requerants - led by Deputies Andrea Dudley-Owen, Carl Meerveld and Rob Prow - to take over, while others would like to see Deputy Matt Fallaize and his team remain in their positions.

Despite being a signatory to the successful requête, Deputy Lester Queripel is hoping the current committee will decide to stay for the time being.

"Just in case you're all thinking of resigning, I see no reason why you should do," he wrote in a letter to ESC members. "The fact that you all favour a two college model is surely completely irrelevant to the tsk you have been instructed to do. What's a new committee going to do that you can't do for the remainder of the term?

"I think it would result in severe disruption should you decide to resign at this late stage, due to the fact that the 'new' committee would barely have time to get their 'feet under the table' before the campaign for the next election begins in Ernest.

"That aforementioned 'new' committee would first of all need to familiarise themselves with what would presumably be a whole raft of processes that will need to be undertaken order to carry out the review itself. They would then have to spend as much time as needed familiarising themselves with ESC members of staff: engage with them, identify their roles and the part they will be playing in the review. They will need to also spend time forming relationships with teachers, educationalists, support staff etc. In other words, they will need to spend time 'getting to know the ropes'.

Pictured: Deputy Lester Queripel.

"Therefore, my plea to you all is please don't resign."

Deputy Fallaize responded to the letter thanking Deputy Queripel for his support.

However, some members of the public disagree with his request.

"Hurry up and go," Clayton commented on an Express article. "Many of the electorate have lost faith in you lot a long time ago. Same for all who voted against the requete. Let's show them the door at the next election!"

Glen, who also commented, added: "I see it as a vote of no confidence. Do the right thing and off you trot."

Meanwhile, an online petition has been set up in support of ESC's Lisia School model.

"The media and certain Deputies have laboured the point that an estimated 2,500 members of the community protested against the ESC proposals for future education in Guernsey," said Chad Murray, who set up the petition two days ago. "Furthermore, 6,000 signed an online petition which should not be ignored. This is actually a very vociferous minority which, when considered as a percentage of the community is very small.

"Furthermore, the demographic are potentially out of touch with modern education practices. However, many have not actually heard the facts nor have children who will be impacted by any delays. I would like this petition to demonstrate how many support the ESC plans, as voted originally by the States, so that there can be real representation of what the community feel."

The petition has just over 50 signatures so far.

Pictured top: ESC President, Deputy Matt Fallaize.