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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, SPORT AND CULTURE BY DEPUTY G.C.L. BAUDAINS OF ST. CLEMENT
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 16th JULY 2007
Question
- Would the Minister advise, given the reduction of votingage to 16 years, together with the concentration of schools insomeparishes,whetherhe will putinplace measures to ensure that school children are notunduly influenced by their schools as totheirchoiceof candidate(s)?
- Would healsoagreetoputinplacemeasurestoensure that childrenarenot pressured into feeling they have to vote unless they wish to do so, and explain how this, and the possibility of influence at school, will be prevented?
- Would the Minister indicatehowmany children aged 16orabove are in education,and would he give an approximate indication ofhowmanyateach school?
Answer
- Following the decision of the States to reduce the votingage to 16 years, I have asked officers at the DepartmentforEducation, Sport andCulturetoconsider the implications of this for schools in two respects –
(i ) w h ether the existing code of conduct for teachers explicitly precludes them from consciously
influencing how young people might vote;
( ii ) w h e ther this change has implications for the political eligibility' of teachers as set out in Political
Activities by States Employees', P.17 approved by the States in April 2006;
T h e Code of Conduct and Practice for Registered Teachers developed by the General Teaching Council for
England sets standards of propriety expected of the profession. Conduct which falls short of those standards is considered unacceptable professional conduct'. Teachers in Jersey are registered with the General Teaching Council.
- A gain this is something that I would expect to becoveredby the CodeofConductfor Registered Teachers. However, I do intend to raise this as a matter for discussion with teachers' representatives at the next Education ConsultativeCouncilwhich is the forum for the discussion ofprofessional matters between the Departmentandtheteachers' associations.
- T here are 2,076 pupilsaged16oraboveinourschools.The distribution is as follows -
SCHOOL No. PUPILS 16+ Jersey College for Girls 283
Victoria College 268 Beaulieu 175 De La Salle 166 Hautlieu 568 Haute Vallee 147 Grainville 135
Le Rocquier 142 Les Quennevais 148 D'Hautree House 8 Mont a l'Abbé 12 Alternative Curriculum 24