EDUCATION AND CHILDREN
Where are we now?
As Minister for Children and Education from 2022 to 2023, I delivered a number of the commitments I made in my 2022 manifesto. That work is now part of my record and the priorities that remain unfinished continue to drive my work as a States Member.
What I delivered as Minister: Mont à l’Abbé School extension. Hot school meals. Free GP appointments for children. Two new children’s homes. Reduced off-island placements. Investment in early years. Uplifts for student grants. A new neurodevelopment service.
What I will continue to push for:
Every child in Jersey deserves the best possible start. I will continue to champion investment in early intervention, support for children with additional needs, and a school system that develops the whole child head, hand and heart preparing young people for a wide range of careers and lives.
I will also continue to push for strong, independent scrutiny of children’s services to ensure that the progress made is protected and built upon, not reversed.
Nursery and Primary Education
We need to ensure we meet the needs of our youngest residents.
The best social return on spending in any society is to invest in good nursery and primary school education. Nurseries and primary schools need to have the funding to adapt to the new challenges presented by our society as it develops.
We have a large workforce of parents who stay at home due to the fact they cannot afford child care. Giving parents more free time, and re-introducing them into the workforce will help to reduce immigration.
Our primary school teachers face the problem of an increasing number of children entering the educational system with English as their second language, thus we need bilingual teaching assistants in classes where there are children who are not fluent in English. If we do not engage these children at a young age, we risk the prospect of preventable issues becoming bigger problems for Jersey as a society further down the line.
Informal education – Youth services
Often the children of individuals who have immigrated to Jersey struggle to find their place. With their parents working, and due to the fact many feel they do not fit in, they spend a lot of time alone and can often avoid their peers.
I support University Education Grants
It should be possible for every hard working, talented individual to have the opportunity to attend University. Jersey needs a university educated workforce to compete as a global finance and digital centre. If we do not educate our locals, then we will surely have to import these professional.