Tom Rylatt
2025 Guernsey election candidate

EDUCATION

I support the manifesto: 'Our Plan for Guernsey: 2025-29 And Beyond'.

Our vision is for an education system that will equip today’s and tomorrow’s generations with the skills, confidence, and resources they need to succeed. Education empowers individuals to lead happy, fulfilled lives and find careers suited to their talents and interests. Education settings should be places of inspiration, fostering an environment that motivates students to reach their full potential. Government’s job is to ensure our education system also prepares people for the future, meeting the needs of the community and economy. As new technologies, such as AI, change the job market, we need a responsive education system that enables people to continue their learning.

Key policies we support:

  1. Expanding quality childcare by implementing practical adult-to child ratios and other regulations to ensure the best care.

  2. Investing in early intervention maths support by using money freed up by the primary review.

  3. Introducing appropriate opportunities to help adults upskill if they missed out on qualifications like GCSEs or A Levels.

  4. Offering returning local teachers the same relocation support as newcomers to make it easier for them to come back to the island.

EARLY YEARS: BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR EVERY CHILD

Early years education is crucial to provide children with the best possible start in life. Quality childcare also helps parents get back to work, supporting their wellbeing and finances, while boosting the island’s economy. Even though the number of children is falling, there’s still a shortage of nursery places.

We support:

  • Expanding quality childcare by implementing practical adult-to-child ratios and other regulations to ensure the best care.

  • Giving childcare providers the flexibility to offer extra services, helping them stay open and create more places for children.

  • Exploring ways to improve pre-school funding. This might include extending support to younger children, offering longer hours, or increasing overall funding, while making sure children with additional needs get the support they require.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION: ADAPTING OUR SCHOOLS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

Fewer children being born in Guernsey means fewer pupils are attending our schools. Five primary schools have already had to reduce their intake and this trend will continue, affecting the entire education system. To maintain high-quality education that leaves a positive impact on our children, we support:

  • Fast-tracking the primary review to improve standards, ease teacher workloads, and streamline the system, beginning 2027/28. This will also free up funds for other priorities, including alternative provision, special educational needs and improving maths outcomes.

  • Establishing a working group with experts from education, government, and industry to plan for falling student numbers and ensure our schools and colleges are equipped to meet the needs of Guernsey’s future.

Education debates in Guernsey have focused too much on secondary schools and buildings, leading to uncertainty for students, teachers, and parents. We need to improve delivery of core subjects, where students often fall behind early. Maths must be addressed sooner, as gaps in ability are often already wide by Key Stage 3, the first years in secondary school.

We endorse:

  • Investing in early intervention maths support by using money freed up by the primary review.

  • Investing in pastoral staff to provide prompt support to students when needed, enabling teachers to teach and benefitting all students.

HIGHER AND FURTHER EDUCATION: EQUIPPING GUERNSEY’S WORKFORCE FOR THE FUTURE

Guernsey needs a clear Skills Strategy as competition grows and as our economy stagnates. Our people are our most important resource, and we must ensure they are highly skilled and do not face barriers due to a lack of training. The Skills Strategy must complement our economy and education system, and has to be simple, flexible, and actively used.

We support:

  • Developing a Skills Strategy within 12 months, led by a visible political champion and informed by an independent coalition between government, business and charities.

  • Introducing appropriate opportunities to help adults upskill if they missed out on qualifications like GCSEs or A Levels.

  • Reviewing our higher education system to make sure we offer the right support for both local and off-island education options.

  • Linking Population Management policy to local skills needs - we need to make sure that people who settle in Guernsey help fill our skills gaps.

  • Tax incentives for businesses that invest in their employees’ skills to encourage them to help develop their workers’ abilities.

KEEPING GREAT TEACHERS IN GUERNSEY

A high turnover of teachers can affect a child’s education. To improve the recruitment and retention of teachers, we support:

  • Expediting recruitment by making hiring and onboarding processes more efficient.

  • Offering returning local teachers the same relocation support as newcomers to make it easier for them to come back.

  • Working with teachers to tackle issues like behaviour and workload, helping keep them in front of students and in the profession for longer.