JERSEY ranks highly against the UK in maintaining schooling throughout the Covid pandemic, an education boss has said.
Seán O’Regan, group director of education, told a Scrutiny panel hearing that schools and colleges everywhere had suffered some ‘learning loss’ through teacher absences or year-group isolation when pupils tested positive.
Speaking at a hearing of the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel yesterday, he said that Jersey would rank highly against UK regions in making sure children did not miss out too greatly during the pandemic.
‘Jersey was at the top end of that, in terms of present learning and online learning,’ he said, before adding that online learning would play a greater part in education in Jersey in future. He said 20% to 30% of it was now online and predicted: ‘We are not going to go back.’
The panel also heard that a renewed effort was being made to stamp out bullying in schools, with an updated anti-bullying policy.
Children’s and Education Minister Scott Wickenden said: ‘All staff – not just teachers – have been updated with changes to the policy. We have been to all the schools and have invited parents to report any incidents of bullying in schools.
‘The tools and policies we have in place are very clear and consistent about what should be done when bullying is reported.
‘The policies are for every school and every school has been asked to implement them.’
Senator Tracey Vallois asked about bullying via social media or between pupils at different schools.
Deputy Wickenden said: ‘Bullying can happen across the Island and it should be dealt with in the same way.’
Also during the hearing, panel chairman Deputy Rob Ward called for the school-meals pilot scheme to be made permanent. A pilot school-lunch programme launched by Caring Cooks provides a daily main meal and dessert to children at Janvrin, Samarès and St Luke’s primary schools and was recently extended to St Martin’s and St Peter’s schools.
Deputy Ward questioned why the government ‘can’t get on with it’ and provide school meals to struggling families, given the success of the pilot scheme.
Deputy Wickenden said there could be practical obstacles such as finding space for serveries in some schools or planning permission for new facilities in others.
He said: ‘There are all sorts of things we have to think about. Is there a kitchen big enough to cook 3,000 meals and deliver them out to all schools?
‘It is not something that is easy to do.’
