St Sampson’s deputy angered by ‘hypocrisy’

THE only St Sampson’s deputy to vote for the closure of her parish school is fed up with States hypocrisy.
Sam Maindonald (pictured) said many States members were too easily swayed by emotions and too aware of the political dangers of taking unpopular choices to do what they had promised. She accused her fellow parish deputies, including Chief Minister Lyndon Trott, of turning against their better judgement.
‘If many of the St Sampson’s deputies did not have the parish issue I think they would not have made that decision,’ she said.
‘I am really angry - especially to see the chief minister sitting there gloating. It was the first test of policy and it crumbled.
‘The chief minister, when he was Treasury minister, brought the zero-10 strategy to the States and he has always fully supported it as being absolutely right. Yet what he did on Friday was clearly contradictory to that policy.’ (from thisisguernsey)

I am sorry, but the St Sampson Deputies supported their local electorate who wanted to keep the school open, it seems that maybe she has forgotten who voted her in...

GD wrote:I am sorry, but the St Sampson Deputies supported their local electorate who wanted to keep the school open, it seems that maybe she has forgotten who voted her in...

Just being devils advocate here, but when should the Deputies balance the need/want of their parish against the greater good of the Island in general. If it is better for education that the school closes (and I don't know if it is that is another arguement) so better facilities can be given Island wide should the deputies look to their Island or their Parish.

Only three words come to mind when looking at that article; bulldog, p!ss, nettle

Some of us and I was one of them made firm commitments in our election manifestos and at the hustings to support our parish schools. It has nothing to do with zero 10, Education have already said they would have closed even under our previous tax system. The States could save millions in other areas without attacking our parish schools, we spend millions on consultants across the states to tell us what we already know (not in Housing because I have banned their use except when specifically sanctioned by the board, which is never) we could save many more millions by looking at the services we supply and seeing which of them could be done more effectively by the private sector, for instance why don’t the parishes pay for street cleaning and employ their own firms to clean their streets. Why isn’t the laundry at the hospital moved to the States prison using prison labour? You may have many more ideas.


Dave Jones

I am maybe a bit long in the tooth - but I was taught (rightly or wrongly) that it was good teachers who made a good school!!! Maybe it has changed since my day - but I do know from now I for one would be happy if I never heard the words 'School' and 'Bernard Flouquet' mentioned in any paper/debate again!!! There are a lot more worrying things happening right now!!!

K

I Agree Dave the States spend obscene amounts of money on so called experts for no reason , what did the old boys do all those years ago with no guidance ? look around you countless things have been built like the harbours , sea walls , huge houses the list goes on and low and behold they are still standing . The point i am trying to make is the Guernsey man can think for himself . Good idea about the laundry and there is numerous amounts of things they could do.

I have said this a few times now the unemployed who are fit for work should clean the beaches car-parks roads etc or other tasking that they are capable of . And as you say Dave there will be loads of other ideas.

Guernsey has for many years consulted so called experts at a huge cost and locals have also laughed at the waste but this has been going on through many terms of gov't and we still have not learned. The experts incidently do not always get it right, marina gates and traffic lights at Les Banques to suggest just two. Nice to see that housing doesn't use them but why just housing, why not other departments.
Personally I like the parish school because it gives more than education it is also a focal point and gives some identity to a parish. But I am also realistic enough to know that the pound sways and cost is everything. So if it is cheaper to run from centralised schools then that is what will happen. Though I am not sure if a bigger centralised school will give a better education.

A politician 'angered'!! Is it election time soon then?