'Rebuilding of unfit La Mare High School cannot wait'

Deputy Robert Sillars, pictured, defended his department's plan for the £60m. project as an amendment was released from Deputies Elis Bebb and Mark Dorey calling for a delay so that an investigation into selection and the secondary system could be carried out first.

'My view is that it makes no sense to build another secondary school with one of the resolutions that is going to be looking into reducing the number of secondary schools from four to three,' said Deputy Dorey, whose personal choice would be to have a system of just two secondary high schools.

'No matter what your views are it would not be right to embark on that project before you have the report looking at the optimum size, number and location of secondary schools.'

However, Deputy Sillars, who reiterated that his board's task at the start of the political term was improving results following on from the GCSE saga, said the school was not fit for children's educational needs.

'If La Mare was fit for purpose, if La Mare was still appropriate I would understand and agree it would be logical looking at it in a timely manner.

'But because it's not fit for purpose and because students are suffering why would we want them to suffer even more, even longer?'