Should school reports and grades be more open, as in the UK?
Senator Mike Vibert
No, the UK education system is experiencing serious problems, many of them exacerbated by the obsession with schools’ league tables. Such a system works against schools working together which is something that is going to become increasing essential, particularly in the secondary sector if we are to offer the range of subjects required in the future and would be a retrograde step for Jersey.
Montfort Tadier
If the question refers to the publication of league tables and such like, I am sceptical about their purpose and effectiveness. I cannot see what function they would serve here, where the choice of school is decided by where one lives, or parental preference (in the case of private education).
Deputy Sarah Ferguson
I would also like to see independent inspections for schools – but not Osted. The inspectors for the independent schools are much more effective and all their reports are available on the web.
Deputy Alan Maclean
Yes. It is important for parents to know the standards achieved by schools and to give the schools a competitive environment to improve their performance. Furthermore it is in everyone’s interests to offer an open and transparent approach as I believe government should.
Cliff Le Clercq
Yes, it’s too important not to.
Senator Philip Ozouf
League tables allow parents to assess how one school performs against another. However academic performance and exam results are not the only measure of education. League tables can sometimes unfairly stigmatise schools. Government certainly should be as transparent as possible so, in principle yes.
Mike Higgins
The performance of schools should be more transparent so that parents and the taxpayer can assess how well they are doing. We also need to stop the manipulation of statistics by schools who deliberately don’t enter students for examinations if they suspect they may fail, or choose soft subject options.
Nick Palmer
I do not know enough about this detail to comment.
Senator Paul Routier
Personal school reports and grades should be confidential to the student. I would not want to see a league table of schools, but when reviews of the overall effectiveness of a school are undertaken then that should be made public.
Deputy Alan Breckon
Assessment of performance and achievement of schools and their students should be more transparent but not develop into a league. Results are important but so are individual students turning out to be well-balanced individuals and achieving the best they can with respect for each other and values in society.
Deputy Geoff Southern
In Jersey there are no Ofsted inspections, and as a small community there is, rightly, co-operation and the sharing of best practice between schools. League tables of results are meaningless since they cannot assess the value added by the school to individuals of differing abilities.
Trevor Pitman
What are we trying to achieve? Setting up a culture where fear of failure becomes a major issue benefits no one. I also believe that publishing so-called ‘league tables’ for schools creates little more than a competition mindset which in a community the size of Jersey can only be detrimental.
Chris Perkins
They could be, but I’m not sure what this would achieve. The standard of education in the Island is high and it is very difficult to compare reports and grades in a meaningful manner.
Nick Le Cornu
Schooling is not a competitive sport. League tables are divisive. In a small island there is no room for ‘sink’ schools. A minister for children and ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are more effective routes to better standards.
Ian Le Marquand
Reports, Yes. Other States departments such as the police and the prison publicise such reports. Grades. Yes, although to be fair to individual schools, account should be taken, if possible, of the ability of pupils upon entering the school and thus of the amount of improvement in performance.
Mark Forskitt
Reports yes, grades no.