La Mare de Carteret – Education amendment

Following the defeat of the Bebb amendment, T&R proposed an amendment seeking to reduce the number of secondary schools. However, discussions were continuing during the States’ session and this ultimately led to the withdrawal of the T&R amendment and the replacement with one from the Education Department that had been agreed with T&R.

This included a review of the 11+, numbers, sizes and location of secondary schools and for T&R to provide funds to enable progression to tender approval. I made a brief speech on the amendment that I supported and was passed by the States,

Sir, I think there are definitely cost implications with the amendment that Deputy Bebb proposed, certainly in terms of maintenance, and I think a lot of what Deputy Dorey just said recently is something we should be debating when Education bring their report some time before March, I hope.
I am glad to see common sense prevail. I could not support the Bebb amendment as I was not happy with the potential for infinite delay that could easily have happened. I said in the last debate that I believed this had all become a matter of trust, and now this amendment requires the Education Department to deliver on that trust.
I do, though, have similar concerns to Deputies Trott and Burford regarding the tendering process. I think a lot of caution and care is going to be needed before those documents go out. We cannot just send standard documentation, for at this stage we have got no cast iron guarantee of construction, let alone what that construction will be , and so I suggest time is invested up-front before rushing out to tender.

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