Under-Fire ESC To Revise Education Law

Guernsey's Education Committee is going back to the drawing board after having to withdraw its new Education law.

ESC suffered a heavy blow when every challenge laid to its updated legislation was passed in last week's States sitting.

It was described by Deputy Heidi Soulsby as a 'car crash', as Education president Deputy Andrea Dudley Owen was left with no choice but to pull her committee's policy letter because of such significant changes to it.

The Education law debate has been a car crash for ESC with every amendment laid to their policy letter having been passed. Propositions now are very different to what we started with. It’s understandable that they want to withdraw it early & put themselves out of their misery.

— Deputy Heidi Soulsby MBE (@HeidiSoulsby) June 23, 2023

Deputy Dudley-Owen said it risked unintended consequences that were being 'blatantly ignored', adding that legislation should not be created 'on the floor of the Assembly'.

‘I am saddened that so many amendments were lodged by Members who had no prior discussion with the Committee before doing so. Many of these type of amendments have price tags attached and would lead to delay, matters that were not acknowledged or were blatantly ignored by those who brought the motions.

I also cannot hide my disappointment that our attempts to engage with States Members throughout our time in office and in anticipation of this debate have been poorly attended."

She vowed to go away and take States Members' feedback onboard.

Successful amendments included exempting the independent colleges from the committee's proposed governance boards.

Following the withdrawal of the policy letter, they issued a joint statement:

"Blanchelande College, Elizabeth College and The Ladies’ College are pleased to see the support for the various amendments... and that the Assembly recognised the value of the grant-aided independent colleges to Guernsey’s educational landscape.

We look forward to the new policy letter incorporating these changes and addressing our other areas of concern.

Collectively, the three colleges look forward to working with the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture on the next iteration of this important piece of policy."

Deputy Dudley Owen says she is determined to bring revised proposals to the Assembly before the end of the political term in 2025.

"Our Committee will now take a little time to reflect on the debate and carry out the necessary further work to bring back reworked proposals...

...We will not let this hump in the road, albeit a big one, deter us from moving the education system forwards for the benefit of our learners and the wider community."

Deputy Lyndon Trott has said if she doesn't, or they don't reflect the views expressed in the debate, he'll seek to have ESC removed.