Guernsey States agrees to withdraw Education Law from debate

The committee has previously described the current legislation, written in 1970, as outdated

A policy letter on updating Guernsey's Education Law has been withdrawn from the States meeting.

The Education, Sport and Culture Committee (ESC) asked for it be withdrawn and politicians voted 18-15 in favour.

The vote came after 10 motions to make changes to the proposals were approved with a further seven due to be debated.

It means the changes, including exempting private colleges from some parts, have not been adopted.

Former Deputy Chief Minister Deputy Heidi Soulsby described the situation for ESC as "humiliating" and said the debate had been a "car crash" for the committee.

Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen said they would take on board what had been raised in debate

Deputy Lyndon Trott warned ESC that if new proposals to update the Education Law do not come back to the States with acknowledgement of the changes proposed this week, then he will launch a vote of no confidence in the committee.

He said he was "let down" by ESC President Andrea Dudley-Owen over the "pause and review" requete last term and wanted assurances this time around.

"We never did get that review. I don't think that will happen again," he said.

"What I was saying is fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me."

Deputy Dudley-Owen said: "We have to be realistic with the assembly.

"We need to be mindful of what deputies think and we need to keep them appraised of what the implications are, rather than hyperbole."

The new law would have seen each school get its own board of governors and it would have outlawed corporal punishment.

Deputy Lyndon Trott urged ESC to return this term with proposals reflecting what had been discussed in the meeting

One of the agreed changes to the proposals was to give more power to the island's state schools when it comes to things like hiring teachers.

Deputy Peter Roffey said he wanted to give as much devolution to the island's state schools as possible describing it as "devo max".

Policy and Resources member Deputy Bob Murray said Mr Roffey's plans were "delusional max" and would not be efficient.

Plans to look at fines for people who take their children out of school during term time were voted down in principle, after a proposal from Deputy Aidan Matthews.

Protections for families who want to home educate their children were also agreed in principle, before the policy letter was withdrawn by ESC.

Follow BBC Guernsey on Twitter and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].