Education Ministers from Jersey and Guernsey visited the Island this week as part of a round of meetings to discuss best practice and common challenges.

Deputy Rod Bryans, Jersey’s Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, was accompanied by Justin Donovan, Director of Education, Sport and Culture. Deputy Robert Sillars, Guernsey’s Minister for Education, was accompanied by his Chief Officer, Jon Buckland, and Alan Brown, Director of Education.

Led by Tim Crookall MLC, Minister for Education and Children, the party met headteachers and leaders from secondary schools and the Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education at Queen Elizabeth II High School and visited Bunscoill Ghaelgagh in St John’s, Ramsey Grammar School and the College.

During the two-day visit, the party also attended Employment & Skills 2015, the Island’s annual careers and jobs showcase, at the Villa Marina.

Minister Crookall said: ‘The meeting was the third to have taken place between Ministers and senior officers who are responsible for delivering Education in Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man. The first meeting was hosted in Guernsey and the second in Jersey.

‘The meetings allow us to share best practice and to discuss areas where we face similar challenges, such as recruitment and retention of teachers.

‘Areas of focus on this visit were how the Isle of Man is developing the teaching of the Manx language in schools and how we are developing our higher education provision. We also discussed our islands’ approaches to pre-school education, policies on information-sharing and strategies for mental health and wellbeing and talked about GCSE changes in England,’ said the Minister.

‘Greater engagement between our jurisdictions on important issues such as education and minority languages has, in part, developed from the relationships established by the British-Irish Council.’

Photo - Minister Crookall (left), Deputy Robert Sillars, Guernsey’s Minister for Education (centre), and Deputy Rod Bryans, Jersey’s Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, at the Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education.