FRUSTRATED by the lack of progress on the review of education management, Deputy Jean Pritchard is considering resurrecting her requete of seven months ago. She registered the petition, aimed at forcing the investigation, before the September States meeting.
But after assurances from then Chief Minister Laurie Morgan that one would be undertaken, the requete was not activated.
She said the findings of an employment tribunal into Le Rondin head teacher Jane Stephens’ unfair dismissal had made an external review more urgent.
‘We have now had two reports that raise serious concerns about the management of education in Guernsey and we can’t ignore them,’ she said.
She said that the petitioners had wanted the review completed within a year.
‘Here we are in April and nothing has even been started yet.’
Chief Minister Mike Torode said this week that the review would be into the entire Education Department.
He said that the Policy Council had been in discussion with a professional body for around a month trying to secure its services for less than the six-figure sum that had led it to reject another organisation.
‘I agree that the cost was too high,’ said Deputy Pritchard, ‘but I’m disappointed that things haven’t progressed.
‘We must clear the air.’
She said she was prepared as a last resort to reactivate the requete but would rather the States was asked only to debate an investigation’s findings. She would speak to the chief minister on the subject.
In June, when Mrs Stephens was unsuccessful with an application to take her case to judicial review, Lt-Bailiff Richard Southwell recommended an urgent review into the management of education and particularly the role of director Derek Neale.
Deputy Pritchard said the requete focused on those points.
Education minister Martin Ozanne said that his staff had paid the price for trying to be too kind in not taking formal disciplinary procedures against Mrs Stephens earlier.
‘I’m very aware that Derek Neale made countless efforts to resolve the situation and for this we have had a slap on the wrist which I’m not happy about,’ he said.
‘We will learn from the conclusions and there will be a review involving the Crown Officers and human resources
‘It could mean that in future, hopefully only on rare occasions, we will have to enter into formal disciplinary action against staff earlier.’
Deputy Brian de Jersey, who gave evidence at the tribunal in support of Mrs Stephens, said the review was long overdue.
‘When you get a Lt-Bailiff saying that education management should be looked at, then it should be,’ he said.
Article posted on 21st April, 2007 - 12.00am
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