Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen spoke to Express just moments after hosting a workshop on revised proposals for a new Education Law.
It comes several months after the original Policy Letter for a modernised Education Law was unceremoniously dragged through the States, with extensive amendments – some laid on the day – leading it to be described as having been “extensively mauled” by one deputy.
The Policy Letter was pulled and ESC was advised to go back, lick their wounds, and work on a revised version.
Pictured: Deputy Dudley-Owen, President of Education, Sport and Culture.
In the third and final part of Express’ education series, Deputy Dudley-Owen explains how the Committee is working to produce something “more in line with the will of the Assembly”.
An outdated law
Education, Sport & Culture wants to replace current legislation which is widely regarded as outdated and no longer fit for purpose.
The Education Law has been in place since 1970 but is based on UK legislation from the 1940s and includes some elements of educational practice that date as far back as the turn of the century.
Modernising the law is one part of a multi-faceted Education Programme, and ESC attempted to do this in June with a Policy Letter on various revisions.
It faced no less than 18 amendments, some being made on the fly, and was eventually pulled from debate as the ramifications of some of the amendments were simply too big for ESC to understand immediately.
“It’s common place that amendments are put into policy letters, which have not been consulted upon, on the day,” said Deputy Dudley-Owen.
“They have no idea about the consequences that might have for the entire policy. They make mistakes over the financial implications and it’s simply shoddy. We’re expected to have a level of professional approach to the work that we do on behalf of the people of Guernsey; some of the approaches fall well below that.”
Pictured: Deputies can change the course of States decisions by lodging amendments against policy letters before and during debates.
She said there are some instances where you can justify an amendment being laid on the day, but sometimes it simply doesn’t make sense.
“It was actually one of… those amendments that caused us to have to withdraw the entire Policy Letter, because it actually just blew a hole through the side of the legislative proposals… and that’s quite scary.“
Engagement
When Deputy Dudley-Owen spoke to Express she had just held the first of two workshops with colleagues, offering them a chance to better understand what ESC has been doing since the June debate.
“It was actually pretty constructive,” she said. “I think everybody enjoyed the session… it was [however] disappointing that this morning’s session only had ten members. I’m yet to see how many the later session elicits. I hope it’s a similar or greater number.
When asked about engagement she said deputies need to understand what they’re opposing, before taking a critical stance.
“We know that there were some States members who were unnecessarily critical of the process and are consistently opposed to what we’re doing, who just don’t engage sufficiently to understand exactly what it is we’re doing.
“We’re always very happy to spend time on exploring areas of confusion or misunderstanding, but there’s no excuse for States members who are consistently opposing, getting the wrong end of the stick… yet not bothering to engage with the Committee or with officers to understand exactly what it is the Committee is trying to do.”
“Significant consultation”
So, what does a newly revised Education Law look like and how can ESC get it through the chamber?
Pictured (clockwise from top left): Deputies Andrea Dudley-Owen, Steve Roberts, Sam Haskins, Andy Cameron and Sue Aldwell make up the ESC committee.
“What we’re looking at are different approaches of how [it] comes back to the States… possibly [presenting it] it in smaller packages,” said Deputy Dudley-Owen, suggesting that the more contentious parts of the Education Law could come back to be voted on separately.
She also said that the Committee was “possibly not as effective with some of [its] engagement”.
“And that’s a lesson to learn about how we do things… over the past two terms there has been significant consultation with staff, with members of the community and with different stakeholder groups.
“This gives us an opportunity to go back and do the job and try and do it as well as possible, but we’re certainly not despondent. This is a silver lining around a dark cloud and we need to make the best of it.”
READ MORE…
Part Two: “We have run out of educational estate”