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2024.09.10
2.21 Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning regarding a student's ability to access provision of learning in their home language whilst at school in Jersey (OQ 163/2024):
Will the Minister advise what importance, if any, is placed on a student's ability to access provision of learning in their home language while at school in Jersey and what plans, if any, exist to improve this access?
Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central (The Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning):
I thank the Deputy for the question. A high importance is placed on access to home languages learning for pupils in Jersey schools. The Language Policy for Education 2022, which is under a scheduled review after its first 2 years, will continue to reflect the high priority and importance that is placed on learners' access to provision in their home language while at school in Jersey.
2.21.1 Deputy M. Tadier :
It is news to me that the current language policy is under review. Could the Minister give some more information about why it is being reviewed, what is being reviewed and who is leading on that review? Is it somebody who is already in-house or is somebody being brought in to do that review?
Deputy R.J. Ward :
They are scheduled to review every 2 years and we would want to look at the multi-language learner policy, of course, because there is a context to how we deal with this depending on the demands made elsewhere with regards languages. As we are currently in a context of a lot of demands being made on languages in schools with different propositions and different things coming forward, we have to look at the way in which we can also allow multi-language learners to access. Currently, there are 84 countries of birth listed in 2021 in our schools. At one of our primary schools there are 38 first languages other than English, and they are demands being made on our schools that are being dealt with as best they possibly can. So now is a really good time to lead that review and it will be led by the person who leads language learning. I believe the person who was doing it has been seconded to something else but it may be time to return to that focus in modern languages.
The Bailiff :
Very well, that brings questions to an end. I do not know if people are leaping in because they want to ask a question of the Minister or they are leaping in to be first in for the first period of the questions without notice. I brought questions to an end. I think questions are at an end and we are moving now to the next period of questions.
Deputy M. Tadier :
Sorry, Sir, can I test that? I am obviously not in the Assembly but were there other people who wanted to ask supplementaries on that? I think we still have time.
The Bailiff :
I work on the assumption if no one has lit up my screen, to use the perhaps unfortunate expression [Laughter], and I have not seen a light on at the time when the question is last answered, I assume no one wishes to ask a question. As soon as I said questions are over, Deputy , that was it and there was no one asking at that point.
Deputy M. Tadier : Thank you, Sir.