Ascension : Education, Education, Education, - to be or not to be?
Submitted by The Islander (Islander Internet Editor) 28.01.2010 (Article Archived on 11.03.2010)

Fellow Islanders, I am sure you are aware of the recent Education review undertaken at our very own Two Boats School.

I am one of the staff who unfortunately, (I am starting to believe it was actually good fortune), have been given notice of redundancy.  I have accepted this gracefully, and bear no grudge or bitterness towards any individual, especially not my colleagues. 

However, I do believe that questions need to be asked and more importantly you as islanders have a right to know what is happening.  All might seem quiet, and going according to plan/working out well; however it isn’t quite like that!

And since I do not have my hands tied, why not let the person asking some of the awkward questions publicly be me.

Hopefully we will all receive a reply from someone who knows exactly what has gone on, is still going on now, knows and understands the education system, and has the information we all require as a community.

The old adage ‘there are more questions than answers’ has never been more true.

Ascension is undergoing enormous and difficult changes, and yes we all know that change has to happen – it seems the only way forward.  In some situations change can be a good thing.  However, changes made in a small community like ours can have devastating consequences – if not managed effectively.   Especially if those changes focus on the immediate future (and mostly finances) and do not consider the bigger picture or long term future of the island.

Some of the questions that appear to be without answers at the moment or more precisely are having there answers muffled include:

School Review. 

A good idea?  Yes!  Every great institution can benefit from professional scrutiny from time to time. 

The terms of reference for this review – were they made public before the recommendations were approved?  I believe not!  Why not?  (Those for the Health department have – in the last edition of this paper.  Then again, maybe the ‘powers that be’ are learning from their mistakes.)

The outcome?  Has anyone who is being directly affected by the recommendations (students, staff of TBS, parents and future potential employers) seen the full report??? Is it a public document? (Was it the tax payer that financed this review, if so, do they not have a right to know what the findings were?)

Why is our community being kept in the dark? 

After all, if the situation we now face as a community is the best way forward for a more cost effective education system, shouldn’t the ‘powers that be’ feel proud to show it off?

What exactly did our councillors agree to?

We know part of that answer – (8 members of staff, including 4 teachers have received notice of redundancy). That was the easy bit.

However…..

What happens to those left behind? (Students and staff)

Who gets to sort the chaos out?

What is the contingency plan? (Who is going to do what, and how are they going to do it?) Do you as parents know this?  Have you seen the implementation plans? 

Why are the staff of Two Boats School being treated with such mistrust?  Is it not their job to communicate with students and parents?  Why the sudden need to have their work and communication edited by ‘the powers that be’?

Do the students of Two Boats School, their parents and the future potential employers of the island know that the range of qualifications available to the students is in Jeopardy?

Students studying towards GCSE qualifications have been told – “sorry you can’t continue with subject W and X.  We also don’t know who will teach you subject Y and Z.”  These young people have spent three months working very hard on their chosen subjects and are now unable to continue certain ones.  They will be expected to start other courses and complete them within the recommended times; which means extra pressure on them and staff.

This reduction in GCSEs available to our students limits their options in terms of Further Education choices and also Employment. 

Shouldn’t we be giving our future generation greater opportunities rather than less?

Is it fair to expect the staff of Two Boats School to deliver subjects, especially at Key Stage 4 (GCSE) that they have either no experience or qualifications in?  Teachers enter into this profession because of their passion for their chosen specialist areas, not to have any and every subject thrown at them and told to get on with it. (Do we live in a democratic society, or is this a dictatorial regime???) 

Would employees in other areas of AIG or other companies be expected to do more, for less?

Staff skills audit – wouldn’t it have been sensible to carry out such an exercise before a review and redundancies instead of after? 

Was it the ‘Professional’ recommendation that all changes to the school be carried out from the new school year (September 2010)?  This way the impact on the students’ education would be reduced.  Why are these changes happening from April instead? 

What’s the point of paying someone great sums of money to review a system, put forward proposals and then ignore some of them completely?

What is the long-term future starting to look like for Two Boats School? 

Cost effective – yes/maybe!             Educationally sound - ???

Do you want to know the answers to these questions?

Where are we meant to get these answers?

And will they be ‘Honest, open, transparent and fair’?

Yours Truthfully

Isabel Andrews