'Why are our children in cold huts if there's so much room?'

A heated exchange took place last night between the Education Department and those opposing its decision to recommend the closure of St Sampson's Infants.

PTA chairman Christine Guilbert put forward a case objecting to the school's closure and members of the public took part in a question and answer session with the Education board, led by Deputy Carol Steere.

'We strongly believe that the quality of our children's education will be compromised by the proposed plans,' said Mrs Guilbert.

She questioned whether the move had been properly thought out.

'If there are empty spaces to accommodate our children at Vale Infant School we question why our children are possibly being put in huts, or why additional building is being required to remodel and refurbish the Vale School. Surely huts are not the way forward in Guernsey, especially when we have the excellent facilities of this school,' she said.

Deputy Steere assured the assembly that a great deal of consideration was behind the report her department presented to the States and claimed that she had received no complaints about using huts as classrooms.

This was met by comments from the teachers present, who described the huts as utterly unsuitable.