Education minister begins fight for her future
Tuesday 11th October 2011, 10:50AM BST.
EDUCATION minister Carol Steere detailed for the first time this morning action that was being taken at two high schools to improve GCSE results as she fought for her future.
The States has begun debate on Deputy Steere’s offer to resign – she made a passionate case for why she should stay on in the job.
Specialist inspectors in English and maths will be sent into La Mare de Carteret and St Sampson’s High.
Staffing ratios in the two subjects will be improved at La Mare and an additional maths teacher is being recruited for St Sampson’s.
But if an independent review of education services announced this morning suggests that she has failed, Deputy Steere (pictured) said she will resign.
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Too little, too late, after being found lacking.
Why did this woman try to cover up the systemic underperformance in the High Schools? Any deputy prepared to ask the question?
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Of course she has failed! Whether she stays or not will be down to how well the States receive her passionate “I’ll be good from now on- I promise” plea.
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At this stage we do not have any evidence to show that she should not receive the backing of this Assembly
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If she’s so passionate about her job, why are the secondary schools failing so badly? Why have our academic standards been allowed to fall to such a catastrophically poor level? Whether Steere likes it or not, she has to take the rap for this. She is a disgrace to our children.
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Steere should step down from the position immediately. She has overseen an inexcusable decline in the previously exemplary high standard of education in this Island. To attempt to cover this up is an absolute disgrace. She should not be a member of the States.
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You know it’s very interesting that those people who are slagging off Minister Steere have probably never held such a position (do put me right if I am off the mark here please people) but I don’t think that she can be held personally responsible for the bad results in two schools, what about the excellent results in the other schools? I see no one praising her for those! I think she and her committee has done an excellent job and she should definitely stay. People are far too quick to look for someone to blame and perhaps the parents of some of these kids are responsible for their children’s lack of good results but I don’t see anyone asking them to take responsibility. Good education starts in the home, the Minister, her committee and the teachers are there to provide the means but it is down to the children at the end of the day, if they are not prepared to work hard and put in the hours of study then I’m afraid you can blame the people at the top all you want but at the end of the day they are not the ones taking the exams are they, stop the bullying tactics and give praise where it is due and stop flinging stones. These people are working hard to give the children of Guernsey a future, and better the devil you know I say!
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I thought she had resigned! Now she is saying she will resign if the review shows she has failed! Where is he honour? Education has failed our children, the exam results demonstrate this clearly. Many factors will have contributed to this but failure to even meet with the Heads of the schools for 3.5 years is gross negligence and that alone should be enough. The States recently asked themselves after the Welsh Audit Office report, “What does Good Governance mean?” Not being negligent is one element. Do the honourable thing and resign properly. And now.
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Whether she goes today or not (and probably she won’t because most of the States don’t have the balls to send her packing) is neither here nor there. I think her career as pretend politician is now over and come next year she will only be a vague memory. In the meantime our children are left to pick up the pieces left by her appalling department.
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She will not be getting any support from Bernie thats for sure.
He will not forget the lack of support over his Obama joke.
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Jewels
No, I have not held such a position in government. But then, I don’t need to put my hand in the fire to know that it will hurt!
It is the nature of leadership that one accepts responsibility for failures within the system that one leads. As can be seen from the college results, the tutoring, administration and guidance provided by the schools does result in good results. Remember, 75% of the cohort did not reach the standard required to obtain a scholarship, so their numbers include pupils of mixed talent that still turn our excellent results.
18 April 2012 should indeed be a clarion call for those wishing to settle the matter.
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Deputy Jenny Tasker is an interesting replacement.
In the Radio phone-in 3 weeks ago, as I recall, this deputy was against publishing High School GCSE results for the scrutiny of the general public.
A step forward or back?
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Well, it seems that she has scraped through by the skin of her teeth, almost half the House voted her out.
When the GEP come out tomorrow, I hope it will give us the vote list, I am on holiday and would very much like to see who was in favour; so will someone please post this, thanks.
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I’m sure Deputy Steere is very passionate about her job, it’s not her passion that’s in question though but her competence to run the Education Department.
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Oh well, that’s it then! 24 to 21 – not exactly a landslide for Carol was it?
What a shame.
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Jewels-excellent post
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bcb – prime example of why she is a good role model in education
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jewels – what has annoyed me about steer has been the smugness, deceit, complacency and crocodile tears. this could have been avoided had she and her board been open about results and tried not to hide it and tell the parents that dont worry we know best, exam results are not that important – well excuse me as a parent I am livid – they are messing around with my kids I have been LIED TO – today in the states was a bloney disgrace – i dont think states members realise how angry and fed up many many parents are furious at how we have been patronised and now the states didnt have the courage to kick this shambles out. Some respect for mat fall as at least he took responsibility. this hasnt finished – if steer, fallaise, spruce and de lisle think they have the confidence of the electorate they are seriously deluded and living in walter mitty land. on top of this the credibility of the states has been damaged further -is there anything left of the barrel to scrape? apparently so.
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Well as every one knows, that is everyone with and ounce of of courage, to speak out.
This I’m resigming no I’m not well maybe oh dear…
What is lacking here is honour.
If she resined once oit shopwed she felt Guilty, that should suffice
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Can somebody tell me please where they are getting the evidence of ‘systematic underperformance’ and that the schools are’failing badly’. And please don’t quote the Press because that clearly doesn’t count. The Mare has had one poor set of results – the reasons for that could be many and varied, most likely a combination of radical change/staff turnover and (just possibly dare to think it) a weak cohort of students. Other than that results are broadly in line with or better than comparable UK schools … and please don’t let the Press convince you otherwise. Our secondary schools take in the least academically able 60% of all students. Of course the results won’t compare well with UK schools who take 100% of the ability range.
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My oh my, you people have short memories, just act for today huh, is that your motto? Look back at all the good she had done in the past. Why not ask any of the people she has helped over the years, go on throw your stones, at least she has the courage to stand up for her convictions which is more than can be said for most of the crowd in Guernsey. Thankfully there are more people in Guernsey that will remember the good than the bad and at the end of the day they will be the ones voting whilst you stone slingers are busy trying to bring down the next person who has hit the headlines – shame on you!
BTW – Minister Steere offered her resignation to the States, she did not resign, thankfully they have seen fit to keep her in her position, at least they have shown some sense!
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Yea Julie you are so right! I hear she has a big following in the St Andrews catchment area is this true?
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Jewels what planet are you on? Planet La La probably. Who has this woman helped exactly?
She should have gone graciously – but she dosent have the intelligence to do that. Funnily enough the margin of her “victory” wasn’t that great was it?
anyway, onwards and upwards. Lets hope she dosent stand again next year otherwise she will be disappointed.
Incidently, in another post you suggest the people of Guernsey would have crucified her. I don’t think so. Theres enough dead wood in the education department without adding to the pile eh?
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HobbesvLocke asks re appointment of Mrs Tasker to Education “A step forward or back?”
I feel the answer is back.
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Jewels
Steere should go, as should Neale. Her leadership is in the same league as her dress sense, and he is simply unfit for purpose.
I wouldn’t be so sure of Steere being re-elected, there’s an awful lot of people who are fed up with her, and St Peter Port North contains a lot of parents with children at LMDC and St Sampson’s High!!
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Secondary teacher
Miaow! Professional criticism is one thing but personal attacks are simply unkind and inappropriate. I’m sure you would tell your pupils this.
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Secondary teacher
What has dress sense got to do with it. That sort of comment lets down other secondary teachers (if you are one – which school? – may explain some of the problem? – respect?example?)
I am not calling for any heads to roll as long as the present committee sit up and listen. Hopefully this will be a wake up call and will spur them on – rather than getting another bunch of unwilling candidates who have to start from scratch. This is the present boards’ mess – let them clean it up – they know we are watching closely and elections are coming next year!
On another note – CS says another maths teacher for St Sampsons? What about LMDC – we went there for the open day. 3 maths teachers in the class – 2 talking to each other – little interest in the children. Also at least 3 of the classes had no to teacher in them give information (1 was called away earlier in the day so I understand that); others gave very brief introductions then referred us to the web site; 4 or 5 were keen to share and did so very well. It was ‘difficult’ for them as this was the day after the results disclosure – but what better time to prove them wrong!
I stongly believe that a large part of the problem begins, as others have stated, at home. No example/respect/interest/self control set at home is no model for the children. We noticed the lack of interest in many parents going round LMDC compared to the other visits we did.
Jewels
You mention the other schools excellent results – by that I assume you mean the Grammar and Colleges. Well the Grammar should have good results as it not a ‘comprehensive’. The answer to the others’ good results was given by Carole Steere on the phone in – she said that ‘parents who fee pay for their children to go to the colleges have a (vested) interest in making sure their children are well educated’ – does this mean that the tax payer has none? or that if there is a problem, because someone has paid extra for their childs education, it will get sorted, but the rest ‘get what you pay for!’
Finally – why do our children have to sit 7 papers at 11+? In most UK areas which still advocate this system they only sit 2 (1VR 1 nonVR) whilst we have 3VR 1NVR 1English 1Maths plus a composition. Friends in the UK will have finished by the end of tomorrow and will get their results and be told which school they will be attending in November.
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@Secondary Teacher
Absolutely right.
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@ Jewels
Your posts on this subject are pathetic. It is blatantly apparent that you are personally affiliated with Ms Steere because your arguments have no basis in the state of Guernsey’s education system.
And if you think I should be ‘ashamed’ for being grossly concerned about the standard of education my two children are or may be receiving, you are very misguided.
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What is amazing is the overwhelming acceptance of/desire for her resignation by both the posters on this forum and the wider public…. An election next year!! WHY BOTHER?
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Bridge
I think you have misinterpreted Jewels’ comment and have taken it personally. I think Jewels’ views are very relevant and valid as are yours.
Also I note you have asked questions which are as yet unanswered and yet without that crucial information you are adamant that Ms Steere is to blame.
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Whether culpable or not for the poor GCSE results at 2 Guernsey schools, the education Minister and her team are in serious need of some good pubic relations advice. First we had the tactless way in which the new uniform policy was introduced, with Carol Steere claiming that full consultation took place despite most parents only learning of its existence through the pages of the Guernsey Press. There followed the inflexible and equally tactless approach over admission to the Catholic primary schools. Now we have the mendacious manipulation of information on GCSE results. It is only today, trying to hang on to her job that the Education Minister has actually detailed some of the problems faced by M de C and St Sampsons and told us the measures put in place to address these issues.
But even today the Minister is still serving up meaningless spin. Apparently parental satisfaction surveys show that 70% of parents of 11 to 16 year olds rate their schools 8 out of 10 or above. Well yes maybe, but how many responded to the survey (probably 30% or less) and what proportion of those responding have children at the colleges, Grammar, Le Murier or Beaucamp!
Oh and finally , the ability range at La Mare for this year’s GCSE year group was significantly lower than at other schools. Might have been prudent to tell us this at the time of releasing the results. Presumably this has been known since this group entered the school at 11!
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just a thought
when I was at the Grammar sixth form (admittedly late seventies)we were joined by 2, that’s right 2,guys from the secondry schools to do A levels.
the sixth form at grammar is now 40% made up of students from the high schools.
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Catherine
Please expand on the term ‘good pubic relations advice’
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Ray
Public relations as I understand it is about how you present your organisation and how you communicate with your customers/clients and the public at large.
The Education Board don’t seem to be making a very good job of this. Had they released the GCSE figures with full explanation as to why they are so disappointing and what they were doing to remedy the situation, they might have retained a degree of credibility.
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catherine
Thanks for that but I’m sure you said ‘pubic relations’
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Ray
The advice is that all members should be thoroughly examined.
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Ray,
Pubic relations is much the same thing, but with more emphasis on Ugandan discussions.
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ParentA and ChrisJ
I think the concept was imported from Australia .. it being a down under thing
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So I can’t type or spell after a long day. No need to take the mickey, alas I didn’t have the benefit of an expensive private education.
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Silly me thinking it was just a funny typo – no no the education system has failed yet again!
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Whoa,calm down Catherine
If you can’t take a joke you shouldn’t have joined
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Ray
Oh dear, how easy it is to be misunderstood. my response was tongue in cheek. I was actually amused by the comments. I remain as calm as ever was.
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Catherine
That’s good to hear.I note on some other forums that posters are able to include a little yellow smiley or glum face.I don’t know if that is something they can insert themselves or whether the moderator might consider introducing such a ‘click to add’ facility so that such misunderstandings can be avoided
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Another guernsey shambles
RIP The Old guernsey
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