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Dear Deputy Doublet
Congratulations today on chairing what is highly emotive subject. I was genuinely impressed by the scrutiny panel, and took great pleasure in the admonishment of Deputy Bryans at the conclusion.
I look forward to hearing from the panel the outcome of the investigations into the Council of Ministers (CoM) minutes and their knowledge of this proposal. I felt that the Education director was trying to cover him and the minister by interjecting with comments that the exact proposal may have been lost in the details of the spreadsheets. On the face of it, I think the minutes will show that Deputy Bryans is being disingenuous here.
I also felt the Deputy Bryans was looking to his left and right for help too often when he should have been answering the questions posed to him as Education minister. The education director was for my liking too willing to contribute to the debate.
The panel of four individuals contradicted themselves time and time again throughout the debate, and were unable to provide accurate information when asked.
To have undertaken zero consultation and zero scenario and sensitivity analysis is inexcusable and the minister should take the full blame for this.
Many of the statistics used are based on an extremely small sample size of the island population, just 1,100 households, of >42,000 currently.
I am supportive of the desire to use the schools during holiday periods to increase revenues, it must be done so through consultation with the key stakeholders.
The minister says on the one hand that this is a cost saving exercise, then talks about increasing funding for special needs and pupil premium initiatives, but has not considered the broader implications for this as well as other departments, such as the fallout from households reducing or quitting work, private nurseries employing fewer carers (we can assume the ratios will be increased to be in line or closer to States nurseries following the 6mth consultation to follow).
Please continue the excellent work you and your panel have undertaken. I would be delighted if you are able to share the data that the project manager noted he would send to you following Deputy Macon's request as I have many questions and analysis I would like to undertake in order to strength my understanding and argument against this decision, particularly on the 75-100 households impacted comment.
Yours sincerely