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Govt ‘amends’ Feetham’s motion on education

The Minister for Education, Gilbert Licudi, has written to the Speaker of Parliament giving notice that he proposes to move an amendment to the motion on co-education filed by Leader of the Opposition Daniel Feetham.

The amendment proposes to delete the entire text Mr Feetham’s motion except the opening two words, replacing its contents with a number of statements.

It states, for example, that “education and ways to improve it must always remain at the top of the political agenda in this community”.

Secondly, that there are educational arguments both in favour and against co-education for Gibraltar’s Comprehensive schools.

Mr Licudi states that the GSLP/Liberals manifesto for the 2015 elections posed the question whether coeducation is a good or bad idea for the Comprehensive schools and provided a commitment to review this “dispassionately and on a non-partisan basis by experts”.

In keeping with its commitment, he said, the Government has set up a working group made up of teachers, officials at the Department of Education, union officials and parents to report to the Government by March 2017 on co-education for the Comprehensive schools.

The Group is to advise the Government firstly on the advantages and disadvantages of the current and mixed (co-educational) models for the Comprehensive schools in Gibraltar.

And secondly, to make recommendations on whether secondary education at the Comprehensive schools in Gibraltar is best delivered using a mixed or single gender model.

The working group will further make recommendations on possible implementation scenarios, and on an appropriate consultation model to ensure that the views of relevant stakeholders are taken into account.

Mr Licudi’s amended motion concludes that working group’s report will form the basis of a consultation by the Government with all relevant stakeholders before a decision is taken on whether co-education is to be introduced in the Comprehensive schools and, if so, in what form.

 

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