Education, Sport and Culture announced its intention to close the school earlier this year.
It’s intended to be a year long trial, aimed at equalising access to schooling across the Bailiwick but a Requête has been lodged which could reverse that decision.
Pictured: Herm School closed at the end of the summer term, for a one-year trial.
The idea is that children living in Herm will attend Vauvert Primary School in St Peter Port rather than the small school in Herm itself from this September, for a year, to see how the system works.
The Herm pupils will travel over to St Peter Port daily, accompanied by an adult to be employed by ESC as a transport liaison officer.
Last term there were four children enrolled at Herm School and they travelled to Vauvert one day per week to mix with other children and to share educational experiences.
Pictured: Some Herm parents have said they’re not happy about the trial closure of the small school.
There has been opposition to the planned trial closure with parents of young Herm children, past pupils and other Herm residents all criticising the move.
Now, Deputy David de Lisle, backed by six other deputies, has lodged a Requête aimed at reversing the decision.
The next States meeting – and the earliest date the Requête can be debated – is on Wednesday 6 September, the same day pupils at States run schools across Guernsey and Alderney are due back in for lessons. Staff – including the long-serving Herm School teacher Mary Carey who has been redeployed elsewhere – return to work two days earlier to prepare for the new term.
Pictured: Herm School is closed for a year long trial with pupils from the island due to start at Vauvert Primary on 6 September.
While the matter can’t therefore be debated until after the start of the new school term, it could see the decision to close the small school reversed.
Supported by Deputies John Gollop, Carl Meerveld, Chris Blin, Lester Queripel, Steve Falla and Yvonne Burford, Deputy de Lisle is asking the States to “direct the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture to reinstate the on-island provision of primary education for children who are resident on Herm” while also asking Policy and Resources to ensure that ESC can “provide the resources necessary to reinstate the primary education facilities that were previously on island for the benefit of the Herm Island community and its businesses”.
The Requête was lodged on the basis that there’ll be no increase in costs compared to last year which was said to be around £80,000.
The Requête also claims that parents of pre-school aged children were not asked their thoughts on the proposed trial closure of the school, and that they should have been as it affects their children when they start school.
The Requête further claims that recruitment to key roles in Herm could be affected by the closure of the island’s school which would be attractive to parents moving to the island to take up employment.
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