Activity firms accuse Education of bias
Saturday 28th March 2009, 9:40AM GMT.
TWO outdoor activities companies have accused the Education Department of damaging their businesses.
The Guernsey Surf School and Outdoor Guernsey claimed the department told schools not to use any company for outdoor activities other than two ‘States approved’ ones.
Both said they would consider legal action against the department if any business was lost as a result of the recommendations.
Jim Hughes (pictured), who runs the Guernsey Surf School, claimed Sheena Wheeler, the department’s health and safety officer, wrote a memo to schools instructing them that outdoor activity providers must be approved by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority, which is not possible as that body does not have jurisdiction to issue licences in Guernsey.
Rob Kerry, corporate events director at Outdoor Guernsey, said he had been exasperated in his dealings with Education – claiming there had been no consultation before the memo was sent to schools.
However, Education denied this and took the unusual step of releasing what it said was the relevant memo, which made no mention of the AALA.
The department did, however, instruct schools that only Guernsey Sailing Trust and Coast and Crag were to be used until a new licensing system was in operation locally.
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The health and efficiency police strike again!
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Many mothers will vouch for what an exceptional job the GSS did last year a Vazon. Encouraging youngsters to get into the sea instead of sitting behind computers – providing a long overdue service as a sort of Summer School. I do hope that his is untrue and just a well intentioned civil servant trying to make something right out of a difficult licencing situation.
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i think thats nonsense. it doesent efect the education department.it will be great dissapointment to all pupils of the surf schools. its an after-school activity. atleast there are one or two surf schools around. anyway, i think its an outrage!it gives kids exersize and fresh air.why do others not understand?
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Yet again the Bureaucrats strangle free will and enterprise. Would Sheena Wheeler be happier if our children ate Burgers and watched TV all day?
My Children were regular visitors to the Surf School last summer and I must say I was more than pleased that such activities were finally made available to them. Yet again government do their utmost to stop our children doing anything remotely positive.
Maybe they would be much happier if they were overweight hoodies loitering on street corner’s in St Peter’s Port.
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As a former school teacher in Guernsey and having had to deal with this on many occasions this comes as no surprise what so ever. I’m extremely pleased that someone has finally taken a stand against the many unjustified and frankly daft policies!! The Guernsey Surf School is a fantastic and long needed addition to Guernsey and I wish them all the best with this. Finally, Guernsey school children may be given the opportunities children are open to around the rest of the UK!!
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Who is to say that a states approved scheme is better than one that is not?! The states can barely agree on anything as it is.
I have seen the surf school running through the summer and they did a great job! many children who had never even thought to venture in the sea that way did so, and seemingly loved it!
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Looks a perfectly sensible policy to me.
This is for school organised, therefore school responsible events isn’t it?
So there needs to be some criteria for assessing which providers are acceptable. Looks as though Education has confirmed that two are.
Maybe they haven’t gotten around to the others.
I for one would be a little displeased with any school that farmed my kids out to just anyone out to make money from “adventure activities” without assessing their suitability and safety. But that does not mean that I would necessarily prevent my kids using those same providers out of school hours, at our own risk.
I fail to see how this “damages” anyone’s business. If the business model was reliant on providing services to education, then these companies should have ensured they complied with anything and everything wanted by their target customer. Maybe they feel that they have already done this and education has shifted the goal posts?
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Having just read through some of the comments above, and being a provider of outdoor activities here in Guernsey, I wanted to respond to ‘Robs’ comments on behalf of the outdoor activity providers on the island.
We are in complete agreement that regulations and policies need to be in place to ensure safety and protect the islands children when taking part in outdoor activities. We also support any policy that sets criteria for assessing which providers are acceptable for use by education. What concerns and frustrates us all is that two providers have been approved for use by education in Guernsey based on nothing more than the fact that; “one is states funded, and the other has worked with the states for years” as quoted by the education departments health & safety officer. No other company has been given the opportunity to become approved or offered any criteria to do so despite regular requests, and schools have been told not to use them for no other reason that that stated above. This is obviously extremely damaging to our businesses!
The States should offer all providers equal opportunities and set criteria that all providers have the opportunity to meet, not favour some without good reason…this is the issue!
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AS a surfer for many years I was shocked at the attitudes of the organisers of The Guernsey Surf School they are arrogant and are not liasing with the local surfing community.
From day one they bypassed the locals that have surfed for some 40 + years. Its like me taking a group of 30 youngsters onto the grand mare golf course every day to teach them how to whack a ball. It disorganised chaos down there on days with swell, from the beach it may look well organised but from the water its hell.
There just isnt room for a surf school at Vazon. The surfing area is maybe 150 meters wide and on good days you could have upwards of 100 surfers jockying for waves add 30 blue and yellow pieces of flotsome to the equation and your going to get collisions and serious injuries.
I had several very near misses which could have ended up with a kid being seriously injured.
A NOTE TO PARENTS – Surfing is a fantastic sport and everyone is welcome but please educate your kids. If your kids are surfing educate them about the rules of surfing. Get them to show respect to otehr water users. This is highly important.
Guernsey is no place for a jersey run school!
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