Education sets out bold new vision for secondary education

A NEW vision for secondary education has been set out, with a warning that failure to accept it will threaten the island’s economic prosperity and leave Guernsey’s young people behind.

Education, Sport & Culture's Deputy Bob Murray and its president Andrea Dudley-Owen. (Picture y Andrew Le Poidevin)

The policy letter on the overhaul of secondary education was published yesterday, under the motto ‘belong, be confident, become’.

Speaking on the Guernsey Press Politics Podcast, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, the president of Education, Sport & Culture, said the proposals represented a bold cultural shift to prepare young people for the complex demands of tomorrow’s economies.

‘The skills-based economy is really strong in Guernsey, we’ve got an awful lot of small businesses and skilled trades that form the backbone of our economy upon which we rely, and with the changing face of professional services and administration, there are jobs that are around now that won’t be there in the future, and we really have to invest in our kids now.

‘It’s absolutely critical because for too many years now we’ve coasted on the back of the success of the finance industry and that’s coming to an end – we really need to do something different.’

The so-called ‘flagship’ of the proposals is the post-16 campus at Les Ozouets, bringing academic and vocational education within the same site.

The intention is that this new philosophy would emphasise the value of vocational, professional and technical careers, and inspire young people about the world of work.

Three 11-16 schools would be sited at St Sampson’s, Les Beaucamps and Les Varendes.

The capital costs for the whole project have been estimated at between £43.5m. and £54m., and annual running costs are in line with the current set-up.

In comparison, the two-school model had a capital price tag of £73.9m., but it included smaller class sizes, better sports facilities, co-located health care services and £2m. per year lower running costs.

As well as developing confident, enterprising and ambitious young people, Deputy Dudley-Owen made a pledge that academic rigour and attainment levels would improve.

‘I want educational standards to rise in Guernsey because we need to be on that journey of continual improvement. It’s never enough just to stand still, which is what’s happened previously and I think we’ve been quite complacent.’

However, the plans, which are already certain to be controversial, do not go forward with unanimous backing of the committee – Deputy Andy Cameron dissents from all the main proposals.

n The full interview with Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen can be heard on the Guernsey Press Politics Podcast, which is found on Apple, Spotify and Acast.