Scrutiny Committee chairwoman Jean Pritchard.
QUESTIONS have been raised by Scrutiny Committee chairwoman Jean Pritchard about the Education review.
Deputy Pritchard, who threatened a requete to instigate a detailed review into the department’s management, said she could not believe that the 10-page report by Dr Trevor Robinson, of IBS Consultants, had cost between £40,000 and £50,000.
‘Did that really cost us almost £50,000? Is this actually the full report?’ She said it revealed that Education was being mismanaged, but gave no recommendations as to how to fix things.
‘My question is, how?’ said the former vice-president of the Education Council.
She said the terms of reference agreed by the Policy Council were watered down in the report, terms of reference that had convinced her not to place the requete.
‘We [Deputy Pritchard and signatories of her requete] negotiated with the Policy Council to get the existing terms of reference.
‘But the terms of reference play no part in the review,’ she said. ‘Really, I find it terribly disappointing.’
She said she had raised concerns previously through official channels but was told nothing could be done because the Policy Council, not the department, employed civil servants.
‘At that point I was told it was nothing to do with me,’ she said.
‘I didn’t stand for the Education Department because I felt that someone else would have to take the challenge.
‘When I gave my submission to Dr Robinson, I pointed out that the Education Department hadn’t got any powers to deal with civil servants.
‘Why did he ignore me, because it is true?’
She said the report was too lightweight.
‘It is insulting and whimsical. For that money I want something more serious than this. It discusses elephants and giraffes – what does that mean?’
She said problems had existed in the department for many years and the Jane Stephens affair had brought them to light.
‘There are comments being made about the standard of education being good in Guernsey and I think teachers do terrific work, but I think how much more could be done if the department was functioning effectively.’
Article posted on 3rd March, 2008 - 2.29pm
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One Article Comment
My immediate view of reading the Robinson report on education, is that it is a typical consultancy document of the type I used to see, and write, where the consultant writes enough to create a positive “nodding technique” response that will allow the report to be the basis of further, and more remunerative work, on the procedures, policies etc.
The perceptive consultant who wrote the generally passive and not personally frightening report, would then be well positioned to quote for and most importantly, decide what work is needed.