Education reforms to be introduced in phases

Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen said she expected the first part of the reforms to be introduced in phases

Reforms to Guernsey's 55-year-old education law will be introduced in phases, according to the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture.

President Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen said she expected the first part of the changes, which will cover governance, to be put to the States in the new year.

The committee withdrew previous proposals mid-debate last June, a move critics labelled as "humiliating" at the time.

Dudley-Owen said the previous proposals included all aspects of the reforms and it meant "the elephant was too large to chew at one time".

Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen said the reforms would be introduced in "bite-sized chunks"

The governance area of the proposed reforms will be the only section to make it to the States before June's general election, Dudley-Owen said.

"We phased it because of the time left in the States, because of resourcing and also it was demonstrated in the debate at the time that possibly the elephant was too large chew at one time," she said.

"It was deemed to be the fairest way to present the education law in bite-sized chunks and also to be able to progress things."

When asked if she was confident the next committee would continue the work on education reform, she said: "I hope so."