Education’s first report ‘not propaganda’, says minister
Friday 24th February 2012, 10:00AM GMT.
Deputy director Alan Brown, left, with Education minister Robert Sillars and the annual report.
EDUCATION’S annual report is about improving openness and transparency, the department’s new minister Robert Sillars said yesterday.
He did not accept that following the publication of the Mulkerrin report in January – which revealed widespread failings in the service – that the first annual report for years was somewhat redundant.
It contains a vast amount of information about the work across all parts of Education, from lifelong learning to health and safety, resources and a section on each of the schools.
Statistical data is included and covers results in both the primary and secondary sector, exclusions, attendance, teacher/pupil ratios and student destinations.
Deputy Sillars did not accept that the document was propaganda.
- The report may be downloaded as a PDF from this page.
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Well according to this report – Education is certainly not failing. You could argue that since the policy council were aware that this publication was on its way the Mulkerrin report was therefore redundant. No wonder the education board wanted to wait before releasing the individual schools’ figures.
This report contradicts so much of Mulkerrin’s criticism and yet the new board have to keep towing the line of subservience to public sentiment as indoctrinated by the media.
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Oh come on. If anyone is sounding indoctrinated it’s you! Yes, some schools are doing very well such as La Hougette and Forest. Others, like Amherst and La Mare primery are not doing well.
Amherst had a total shocker in math.
Whatever you think of the Mulkerrin review, a lot of the suggestions will only improve things. If, as you say the Department is doing so well, why would you have a problem with it doing EVEN better?!
Get behind the recommendations, even if you don’t agree with the findings.
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@Billy
I’m not defending the ‘all’s well’ apologists, but would caution singling out individual schools and saying they had a shocker.
You have to acknowledge different schools face different challenges. If 48% of pupils in School X achieve a certain standard that may well represent a triumph for many of them, given obstacles they may have to overcome on the way.
The 86% of pupils in school Y achieving the same standard may face none of the same obstacles.
And therein lies some of the difficulties with simply relying on such statistics to prove a school’s worth.
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Not even the education board can get behind the recommendations at the moment – most are contrary to either the education law or the housing law – oops.
At LMDC – 84% of pupils didn’t even sit the English and Maths exams! Why? There were a huge number of exclusions and poor attendance. Why? Clearly there was a huge social issue behind this blip which is an elephant in the room many are content to ignore.
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Spartacus, to reiterate the point I made on this thread:
http://www.thisisguernsey.com/comment/gp-opinion/2012/02/13/90078/#comment-122391
The option you support, that of abandoning selection at 11, is ‘contrary to the law’ at least as much as the Mulkerrin recommendations.
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ChrisJ
I’m not sure you are correct about that but my point was that it is unreasonable to criticise Education for not doing things which are not within the scope of the law. Aside from this obstacle John Buckland has stated that the recommendations would need to be ‘Guernsey-fied’.
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Did someone mention an elephant?
Guernsey Elephant News; haven’t you heard?
It tells the truth, undeterred.
With its tusks, it skewers the story.
It’s rarely pretty and can be gory.
From the 11plus to zero-10
Hear it first via G.E.N.
What about those Brussels junkets?
Sort it out, this organ trumpets!
G.E.N. for matters pachydermal.
As yet no tale from the Isle of Hermal.
Sorry, must stop posting on a Friday night.
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Wow Spartacus you read fast seeing as you are just Joe public! In what ever role you work in at Education, please put your efforts into improving our Education system and not clinging on to the past. You are the very reason that there needed to be fresh blood put in at education, hopefully someone will at least ensure IT access is monitored to prevent your type of drain on our tax money.
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Paul
Another unfounded accusation – I don’t work at education – if I did there is no way I would feel free to post my forthright views for the reason you have given and also presumably it would be against some contractual code of conduct.
I saw the headline before this article was posted here at 10am and so had plenty of time to flip over to the education website and peruse the annual report. I was irritated at the reams of superfluous information and concentrated on the nitty gritty towards the back for the bits I was interested in.
I agree the changes of faces in education is good in that it bodes well for a fresh start. Why not acknowledge, as Deputy Sillars does that there is much that is good about education in Guernsey?
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Yes Paul
That looks like a pretty weighty document to be able to read and digest in such a short time even if you knew where to get hold of a copy in the first place
Add to that the fact that Spartacus has also managed to find time today to post on various other topics at 8.13,8.30,8.45,9.55,10.10,this one at 11.02 and on another subject at 11.29 and the conclusion must be that ordinary ‘Joe public’ Spartacus has somehow managed to get hold of an early copy of the report
Some people who didn’t know any better might even conclude that Spartacus might have helped to write the report
I hope that those people are wrong because that would make Spartacus a civil servant and I would rather not have our civil servants spending so much of the working day contributing , no matter how intelligently,to this forum
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I too reached the conclusion he’s a civil servant with time on his hands but he assured me in another thread that he is not. I still find it hard to accept. I don’t know of many birds that quack that aren’t ducks.
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A new breed of troll – spy troll – Ray you have excelled yourself in meticulously tracking my activities. However you neglected to point out that Spartacus managed to find time to attend the loo at 10.11am in my own home. Is that OK with you?
What warrants this persecution?
As for “even if you knew where to find it” well guess where I found this elusive document? On the education website – well blow me down fancy finding it there :-)
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Can anyone say whether this report is on the web for general inspection as according to the Education web site it’s available from the Education Office/Schools etc.
I would have thought that as transparency is being touted,publishing on the Education website would have been the way to go.
If anyone knows where the report is available online, could they kindly put up the details,thanks.
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Alderney Resident;
The report may be downloaded from this page – http://www.education.gg/article/23682/Our-Annual-Report-2010-11
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Martino and Ray
So when you boys have finished having a pop at me (same old same old) – care to comment on the education report?
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Lol
I think your skin is getting thicker. : )
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Sorry Spartacus
I haven’t had time to read it .. too busy checking up on your posts I suppose. ‘Spy troll’.I really like that .. very catchy :)
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I’m too busy organising a residents’ group against the Royal Terrace co-op. What next, a macdonalds or burger king replacing the Muse cafe next door to Marina Court? No wonder our Education system’s going to pot!
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Thanks Thisisguernsey-when I checked the Education site earlier today I didn’t spot it-my word,after trawling through it I have eye-strain!!
Hats off to Spartacus who had digested every page and posted just after 11am this morning!I just don’t know how they managed it.
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Did not hear about this coming out, was it a secret?
I have not read it yet so I’m not going to comment, will post tomorrow.
I have had a quick look at the index and it looks a comprehensive report.
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Spartacus,
You ask the question ‘What warrants this persecution?’ The answer is obvious from reading through previous posts – you are winning the arguments and the opposition are taking a ‘pop’ at you because they have run out of ammunition. Well done.
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