THE sacked former head of Le Rondin School wants another job in education. Jane Stephens said it was unrealistic to expect to get her former job back and she would not ask for it, but teaching was her love.
Now she had been cleared of any blame, she wanted to work full-time again.
She said Education minister Martin Ozanne had been correct when he said she now had limited access to work as a supply teacher.
‘But any fair-minded reader of the report would see that there should be a more substantial restitution made which might go some way to re-establishing Education’s reputation among users groups on the island,’ she said.
An employment tribunal ruled last week that the department had acted unfairly when dismissing Mrs Stephens from her job in January last year.
She was awarded six months’ salary - the maximum - and the department was criticised for having no appeal process in place for the reasons it gave for her sacking.
Mrs Stephens qualified as a teacher in 1971 and she has worked in the profession ever since, apart from time off to raise a family.
Since her dismissal, Mrs Stephens has applied for two senior posts and another as a class teacher with the department and she had not been shortlisted for any.
She had been led to believe informally that it was due to her legal action against it.
‘At any time since 2006, had I been offered contracted employment ‘by Education’, I would have immediately suppressed my legal action,’ she said.
‘I’ve always enjoyed my career and I need a professional outlet.’
She said the tribunal had rejected any suggestion of blame on her part.
If the conclusion of the report was read to establish meaning, rather than to spread misinterpretation, it was clear from the number of times that the word alleged was used that the tribunal had not established evidence, or fault, on her part.
‘When the report considers the building not being ready, the failures in staff provision and my request to know what my salary would be before I accepted my job description, it says I was justified in having those concerns.
‘The procedural mismanagement only compounded the very strong case for me that I had been unfairly dismissed.’
She said the difficulties of the past months could be seen as an opportunity, rather than a calamity.
‘Surely there is reason now to attempt some reconciliation and healing and it’s certainly not my wish that the damage of the past few months is perpetuated.’
Article posted on 24th April, 2007 - 12.00am
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