:00:12. > :00:15.Worrying reading for Guernsey as literacy levels in primary schools
:00:15. > :00:20.fall. Plus, building up social housing with a �27 million
:00:20. > :00:30.investment. And find out why Condor's paying some workers under
:00:30. > :00:37.
:00:37. > :00:39.half the minimum wage - and it's not illegal. A drop in reading
:00:39. > :00:44.standards at Guernsey's primary schools is being highlighted as a
:00:44. > :00:47.key concern in a report out today. Denis Mulkerrin, who carried out
:00:47. > :00:52.the review of primary education, says there's been a worrying
:00:52. > :00:56.decline in results - especially for boys. So how bad is the problem,
:00:57. > :01:06.and what can be done about it? Well I put those questions to our
:01:06. > :01:09.reporter Penny Elderfield a short time ago. Well just to give you a
:01:09. > :01:11.bit of context - this report came about because of that highly
:01:11. > :01:15.critical review, also by Denis Mulkerrin, of Guernsey's secondary
:01:15. > :01:18.schools. And whilst the primary sector doesn't come off as badly -
:01:18. > :01:21.there's room for improvement. Although the results vary across
:01:21. > :01:26.the schools, on average just 70% of 10 and 11-year-olds reached the
:01:26. > :01:36.expected levels in reading in the last year ,compared to 84 in the UK.
:01:36. > :01:38.
:01:38. > :01:47.And the results for boys are particularly worrying. Bomb he be -
:01:47. > :01:52.- the fact that Guernsey's reading rates are behind those in England
:01:52. > :01:56.is wrong. That has got to be an immediate priority for education in
:01:56. > :02:00.primary schools. And the report says if you don't get that basic
:02:00. > :02:03.skill at a young age it will affect your education later down the line.
:02:03. > :02:06.So the conclusion is Guernsey needs to do something about this now. So
:02:06. > :02:08.how is Education going to tackle this? More focused reading groups,
:02:08. > :02:12.making better use of volunteers in schools, and encouraging parents to
:02:12. > :02:15.do their bit at home as well. And although the Education Department
:02:15. > :02:25.wouldn't say which individual schools it would be focusing on, it
:02:25. > :02:26.
:02:26. > :02:33.did say any extra help would be targeted. There is a range of
:02:33. > :02:38.skills that we will put more sources -- the resources in. We
:02:38. > :02:45.could have subject specialists or education officers going in. I will
:02:45. > :02:47.not reveal everything just now. What else came out of this review?
:02:47. > :02:50.There are lots of recommendations. From how teaching assistants are
:02:50. > :02:53.used in schools to consolidating the 11 plus exam. The need for free
:02:53. > :02:56.pre-school education is highlighted - something Education is looking at.
:02:56. > :02:59.And the report also puts the possible closure of schools back on
:02:59. > :03:04.the agenda. Because with 800 spare spaces, and a saving target on 1.6
:03:04. > :03:09.million, it's something the department will be looking at again.
:03:09. > :03:12.�27 million could be used to improve social housing in Jersey.
:03:12. > :03:14.The announcement was made in the States today, along with news a
:03:14. > :03:21.report on standards of health care at the island's General Hospital
:03:21. > :03:26.could soon be made public. Nafisa Sayani has been following events.
:03:26. > :03:30.It's been described as a welcome boost for the building industry.
:03:30. > :03:32.And in all, six sites - including La Collette Tower and Le Squez -
:03:32. > :03:36.could benefit from the projects to refurbish social housing and build
:03:36. > :03:39.new homes in the island. Jersey's Treasury Minister announced today
:03:39. > :03:41.the �27 million would come from the States current account which is in
:03:41. > :03:46.better shape than originally thought, thanks to higher-than-
:03:46. > :03:56.expected income tax receipts. Politicians still need to approve
:03:56. > :03:56.
:03:57. > :04:01.the plans but Senator Ozouf said it would be a good investment: This
:04:01. > :04:05.will have the benefit of keeping construction companies in work
:04:05. > :04:10.which would undoubtedly be laying off people because of the credit
:04:10. > :04:16.squeeze. We will be keeping islanders in work and getting good
:04:16. > :04:21.value for taxpayers in terms of repairs that have to be done in our
:04:21. > :04:24.housing programme. Also in the States Chamber today came news that
:04:24. > :04:26.a report into the standard of services at Jersey's General
:04:26. > :04:29.Hospital could be released to the public. The Aitkenhead report was
:04:29. > :04:31.commissioned after a 75-year-old man died in the hospital in
:04:31. > :04:34.December 2008 after a routine Hernia operation. Joseph Vasse
:04:34. > :04:37.developed an infection and died of multiple organ failure. There have
:04:37. > :04:40.been calls from his family and their lawyer to make the report
:04:40. > :04:47.public. The Minister for Health and Social Services said it's important
:04:47. > :04:52.that islanders can see it for themselves. It is a matter of
:04:52. > :04:58.public interest. There is only one hospital and it is important that
:04:58. > :05:01.the report is there and that the hospital is safe. It's hoped the
:05:01. > :05:03.report will be released next week Condor Ferries has been accused by
:05:03. > :05:07.a national newspaper of paying staff sailing from Portsmouth just
:05:07. > :05:17.�2.35 an hour. That's below the minimum wage set in the UK and the
:05:17. > :05:19.
:05:19. > :05:27.The staff involved are Ukrainian - and it's claimed they're paid less
:05:27. > :05:33.than �30 for a twelve hour day. Edward Sault reports. This is the
:05:33. > :05:36.article that's prompted the controversy. The Mirror say they've
:05:36. > :05:40.seen a contract for workers - employed through an agency in the
:05:40. > :05:43.Ukraine - which sees them earn just under thirty pounds for a twelve
:05:43. > :05:45.hour day. It's claimed the staff in question work on the companies
:05:45. > :05:49.freighter vessels rather than high speed services like the express,
:05:49. > :05:56.vitesse and rapide. So why are the Paid under the minimum wage set in
:05:56. > :06:01.the Channel Islands and the UK. This evening Condor answered back.
:06:01. > :06:08.Weepy medical, dental, their lodgings when they are on board. --
:06:08. > :06:15.we pay medical. The only are here for 12 weeks and then they go back
:06:15. > :06:19.to the Ukraine. What we pay them is four times what they would get back
:06:19. > :06:23.home. Employment lawyers locally say some shipping firms register
:06:23. > :06:26.abroad for what's known as flags of convenience' so a firm can operate
:06:26. > :06:30.under the laws of that region rather than were they sail to and
:06:30. > :06:38.from. But this wouldn't be allowed to happen if the ships were
:06:38. > :06:45.registered in the Channel Islands. Potentially jurisdictions which
:06:45. > :06:55.have little connection to the ship's will be responsible for the
:06:55. > :06:57.
:06:57. > :06:59.kind of protection as those people have. It may seem controversial -
:06:59. > :07:02.but Condor aren't doing anything illegal. The company say the
:07:02. > :07:12.workers are paid above average and that they're committed to the
:07:12. > :07:20.welfare of the staff. Jersey goes to the polls tomorrow. Our reporter
:07:20. > :07:30.has more. There are less than 24 hours and tell you can decide who
:07:30. > :07:30.
:07:30. > :07:39.will represent you. We have got signs, boxes, biffs and also one of
:07:39. > :07:45.the men who is organising this. You are one of the Constables in St
:07:45. > :07:49.Peter Port, what will people do when they come in here? You will
:07:49. > :07:54.come to this table, your name will be written in one of these little
:07:54. > :07:57.books and you will be giving the appropriate number ballot slip to
:07:57. > :08:02.make your selection on. Once you have these like you then move
:08:02. > :08:06.across the room to the ballot stations and you will then fill in
:08:06. > :08:13.your selection. Having completed that you will then bring your
:08:13. > :08:19.selection over to the box. At, the ballot box. And placed it in the
:08:19. > :08:24.ear. Unfortunately this office does not have disabled access but the
:08:24. > :08:29.one in St Stephen's does. Thank you very much, now let's go on to the
:08:29. > :08:35.street and find out what the appetite is on the streets this
:08:35. > :08:41.evening. Ideally have not got an interest in it and I think a lot of
:08:41. > :08:45.people are the same. -- ideally have not got. A think we have to
:08:45. > :08:49.take an active part in how the island is governed. I'd think there
:08:50. > :08:58.is a lot of pressure because of what the UK Government are doing to
:08:58. > :09:02.the island. It is disastrous. Tomorrow is your opportunity to
:09:02. > :09:07.shape the island's future. Jersey Post has announced that it will
:09:07. > :09:10.increase the cost of posting a letter from May the 8th. Stamp
:09:10. > :09:12.prices are going up as the company struggles to maintain service
:09:12. > :09:15.levels. The removal of the fulfilment industry, Royal Mail
:09:15. > :09:23.increasing its stamp costs, and the decline in mail volumes are all
:09:23. > :09:26.factors behind the increase. Now a look at the weather. The unsettled
:09:26. > :09:29.weather is continuing overnight. Further showers and some heavy rain
:09:29. > :09:36.Further showers and some heavy rain to come for a time overnight
:09:36. > :09:42.tonight. It is this low pressure dominating the pressure. --
:09:42. > :09:46.dominating the weather. Even by Thursday we will still have that
:09:47. > :09:51.low-pressure near by. The wind will have come down a little bit but it
:09:51. > :09:56.will still be fairly breezy with a chance of showers for much of this
:09:56. > :10:01.week. Tonight we start off with showers, some heavier downpours as
:10:01. > :10:07.well. There could be longer spells of rain for a time in the early
:10:07. > :10:13.hours of tomorrow morning. Temperatures around five Celsius at
:10:13. > :10:17.the lowest. A wet start for many tomorrow. Some heavy bursts of rain
:10:17. > :10:24.as well. There will still be some showers through the afternoon but
:10:24. > :10:34.the chance of a few dry and bright intervals. It is going to feel
:10:34. > :10:59.
:10:59. > :11:04.fairly cool. There will be pretty As we head through tomorrow evening
:11:04. > :11:08.still these strong winds to watch out for. We will also keep these
:11:08. > :11:16.unsettled conditions so it is looking pretty showery towards the