This Is Guernsey

By Nick Mann

EDUCATION requete signatories are unhappy that outline terms of reference for the department’s review could be changed again. Agreement between them and the Policy Council appeared to have been reached last week over how the investigation into the department’s management should be run.

But there is now disquiet that things could still be altered, with Deputy Chief Minister Stuart Falla set to meet representatives from the department and union Prospect later this week.

The review could begin as early as next Tuesday.

Requete signatory and Policy Council member Dave Jones fired a warning at Deputy Falla.

‘As far as I’m concerned the review should go out with the wording agreed. If there’s any attempt to change the terms of reference by creative phraseology, then I believe the signatories of the requete will then want to place it before the House,’ said Deputy Jones.

‘I understand that it’s been requested by Deputy Falla that some of the wording is changed. I’m opposed to this because I believe that we found a compromise that would give us the effective review that we want of Education and ‘would’ not pre-judge whatever findings that review might come back with.’

Requete signatories had been pressing for changes to the watered-down review announced by the council.

Some concessions appeared to have been made last week over having protected submissions and ensuring the review looked at past events.

The Policy Council meets again on Monday and the review could begin the next day.

But the threat remains if there is disagreement over its terms of reference.

Requete leader Jean Pritchard said that a letter from the council last week incorporated the signatories’ concerns.

At that point they were considering withdrawing the requete.

But Deputy Falla’s planned meetings with Education and the union have forced a rethink.

‘It certainly wasn’t made clear to us from the letter from the Policy Council that this was going to happen this week,’ she said.

‘Having had such a chequered history with the Policy Council over terms of reference, we’re leaving the requete in.’

She called for the terms of reference to be made public.

‘When I had that letter, the terms of reference were laid out very clearly and agreed by the Policy Council. Now it appears they may be tweaked in some way to accommodate the department being reviewed.’

Deputy Falla declined to comment.

Article posted on 4th September, 2007 - 12.00am