Herm's education "falls short of requirements"

Thursday 31 August 2023

ESC has doubled down on its efforts to improve the education available to children living in Herm by offering a detailed alternative to its current plans which have faced opposition.

Herm's school closed at the end of the 2023 summer term with a one-year trial starting next week which will see the few primary school aged children living in Herm go to Vauvert Primary every day instead.

That has been challenged by Deputy David de Lisle who will lead a Requête calling on Education, Sport and Culture to revoke the trial on the first day of the new school term.

With the support of seven deputies already, he just needs to convince a few more that ESC is wrong to expect young children to sail to St Peter Port daily for their lessons.

Pictured: Deputy David de Lisle is leading political efforts to save Herm School. 

The Requête which has been lodged by Deputy de Lisle, and backed by Deputies John Gollop, Carl Meerveld, Chris Blin, Lester Queripel, Steve Falla and Yvonne Burford, asks the States to "direct the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture to reinstate the on-island provision of primary education for children who are resident on Herm".

The Requête claims that parents of pre-school aged children were not asked their thoughts on the proposed trial closure of the school, and that they should have been as it affects their children when they start school, and that recruitment to key roles in Herm could be affected by the closure of the island's school which would be attractive to parents moving to the island to take up employment. 

That worry has been echoed by the leaseholder of Herm Island. John Singer wrote an open letter to all deputies earlier this week saying that closing the school permanently is "Herm's worst fear" and that doing so will leave the island unable to fill vital roles currently staffed by parents of young children.

Herm's manager and many residents have also criticised ESC"s plans.

ESC has hit back at those critics by pointing out that there is no formal agreement that the States of Guernsey will finance a school in Herm.

Above: Having expressed his disappointment and concerns over the trial closure of the school for the upcoming school year, Mr Singer has now welcomed a Requête to try and reverse that decision.

ESC is also resolute that the decision has been made to improve the educational opportunities available to the small number of children affected. It has changed its plans to address some of the publicly aired concerns though.

In responding to the Requête, ESC has said that if the States force the school to stay open then it must have more funding to ensure that the school room, facilities and staffing is improved.

ESC also suggests that closing Herm school should not have come as a surprise after the quality of education in Herm was criticised during an inspection of Vauvert in 2019.

The inspection report noted that: "The learning environment outdoors around Herm Primary provides a potentially rich context for learning. However, the classroom is cluttered and does not provide an environment which is conducive to high quality learning. There are too few rich play and activity contexts for younger children. Children in Vauvert benefit from high quality learning. The school and Education Services should work together to ensure that children on Herm receive similar high-quality learning experiences."

ESC would want the States to fund this on top of its existing education budget or to reduce the size of the budget reduction ESC is expected to meet as the island battles financial shortcomings.

Pictured: The Committee for Education, Sport and Culture. 

Addressing concerns over transporting pupils from Herm to Guernsey, ESC has said that is more reliable than transporting a teacher or two to Herm.

Whereby weather, illness and other factors preventing a teacher travelling to Herm will affect the whole class, there are fewer occasions where the whole class will be prevented from travelling to Guernsey suggests ESC. 

They've worked out plans with Travel Trident to align sailings with the school day and have ironed out other issues such as offering resources for at-home learning when a child, or the whole class, can't travel to school in Guernsey.

ESC said "personalised contingency plans, worked up in conjunction with their parents/carers will be in place for every learner should there be an occasion when the weather changes unpredictably to such an extent that they are unable to return to Herm".

ESC insists such occasions will be rare.

By taking the few Herm children to school at Vauvert each day, ESC says they will benefit from trips and team sports as well as other educational benefits.

Pictured: Vauvert Primary School in St Peter Port.

In addressing the Requête which calls for the school to reopen immediately, ESC has offered three alternatives.

ESC's preferred option would be to continue with the 12-month trial, with a working party set up to oversee the temporary arrangements with a representative for Herm's parents to iron out details for the future. 

If that isn't accepted by the States, ESC wants to offer schooling in Herm for infants only - school years Reception, Years 1 and 2 - or, ESC would continue to provide education in Herm for primary school-aged children in years Reception to 6.

If either the second or third option are backed by the States, there will be a financial obligation on Policy and Resources who would have to work with ESC to find the additional money needed to pay for the enhanced staffing and facilities needed in Herm to meet required standards.

Both the Requête and ESC's amendment are due to be debated next week.

The Requête can be read in full HERE with ESC's detailed response to the Requête HERE.