YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT - VOTE HALEY CAMP
Our education system has forgotten its purpose. In 2024, only 49.7% of GCSE students in our state schools achieved both Maths and English qualifications at the minimum expected standard of Grade 4, whilst it is estimated that the UK equivalent is closer to 65%.
Educational reform disruption has clearly played a major role and yet headlines continue to be dominated with a game of swapping over buildings and giving plush premises to administrative staff.
Guernsey already deploys curriculum differences when compared to the UK; why not go further, be brave and adopt an education system that takes the best worldwide and adapts them for our society?
This isn't about huge change but about making smarter use of the resources we do have and making important changes to allow teachers to use the best of what's out there.
We know teachers want the best for their students but, all too often, our system prevents them from implementing change, highlighting the deficiencies of governance within our education structure.
We must demand that Education
thinks outside of the box.
Slavishly following a comprehensive model, being swiftly abandoned in the UK, demonstrates a lack of critical thinking by those we need it from most and an unwillingness to learn from good global examples. Other jurisdictions are adapting models that focus on:-
We must instruct Education to consider the home-grown successes that exist in the Colleges. The College Principals are willing to help but seem to be consistently denied.
There's a reason why families are willing to club together to afford the fees.
Guernsey's "top-down" approach to educational control isn't working; we can't even keep pace with the UK, the jurisdiction we seem to be aligning ourselves to constantly.
Nearly a decade of educational reform hasn't gone far enough. The governance model introduced in this last term is a nice nod towards reform, but it lacks substance and grants very little authority to the governance boards; without serious revision, they will fail. Education budgets need to be reallocated to the schools, not the "centre", empowering them to deliver what they know their students need and allow each school to flourish on its own strengths and successes.
It's clear that teachers have great ideas about how to improve the system, but are either not able to speak out or aren't being listened to. For example, teachers are frustrated that there is no real progress measure; they exist and could be as simple as reintroducing the SATS at appropriate year group intervals, providing students and parents with an objective view of progress and enhancing readiness for GCSEs.
The UK is slowly distancing itself from the system of education we've pretty much mimicked. It's time to stop only looking to the UK for inspiration, but also turn to solutions seen in the best systems worldwide. These can be small, habit-forming changes, evolved and increased over time.
It isn't as simple as saying copy and paste the college system, but the colleges run under an independent structure and, therefore, are ideally placed to share insight and challenge. Encouraging collaboration between the schools enables the State schools to adopt the best practices within the colleges and for ongoing dialogue.
Equipping students with capability and deep understanding of a topic is admirable, but will produce poor results if students aren't also prepared for exams, which are a fact of life. When the State's schools cannot consistently produce students with the minimum level of qualifications to obtain an entry-level civil service role, there is clearly a problem. Readiness prepares a student for the exam environment, allowing them to understand exam technique and reduce anxiety.
...educational shift isn't about creating major earthquakes in the system but about using already available funds more strategically to improve outcomes and leveraging subject-matter experts for collaboration and mentoring. By redirecting funds into real solutions, much should be achievable without burdening public finances...