From Christopher Davey.
SO furiously did my blood boil at your report (JEP, 23 March) on the appointment of the new head teacher at La Moye Primary School, that I had already drafted a letter before reading your leader.
You so thoroughly reflected my own thoughts that I had to start again. The problem is simple: we have in this Island – and we have always had – a culture of not only failing to follow-on-nurture our own undoubted talent but of persistently refusing to recognise and use what talent we do have.
The main reason this current nonsense crops up yet again, of course, is because we feel compelled – heaven knows why – to employ outsiders to do our recruiting for us. It is a Catch-22 situation.
It is no longer acceptable for such as Mr Lundy to fall back upon trotting out lamely that sterile mantra ‘ . . . was carried out in accordance with . . .’ Of course, it was: we demand no less. But such codes are written as a basis for the exercise of initiative and common sense. If they are followed slavishly, we lurch towards the sort of totalitarian society that our parents fought a war against. And in no field is this more pernicious than in education.
Each year our teachers come up with a level of outstanding academic results that put the UK to shame. The next stage should be the setting up and maintenance of a database of all our bright students – I and others have urged this time and again. We should be actively encouraging our talent to return and, in the field of education most particularly, fast-tracking them through into positions of responsibility.
Recruiting from the UK should be very much the last resort. It should be made totally clear to recruiters that they have an obligation to select local talent if they possibly can.
This is not just about saving money, not just about holding back the immigrant tide, it is about imbuing our young with our very special Jersey culture. Let us face the fact that there is much in current UK society, ways and procedures that Jersey can well do without.
La Robinette,
Rue du Crocquet,
St Brelade.
