Education president fights for post-16 plan

It told them that students could no longer be expected to learn in facilities ‘so poor that they cause material challenges to the long-term delivery of good-quality education’.

And ESC president Andrea Dudley-Owen rebuked critics of her committee’s scheme for a new centre for sixth form and further education studies at Les Ozouets – saying they were peddling ‘a false narrative’.

But Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, who is working with other deputies critical of ESC’s plans, said the idea of building a new sixth form centre at Les Ozouets for fewer than 400 students remained ‘unprecedented, a wild experiment and very expensive’ and urged a rethink on educational and cost grounds.

‘Ensuring that any discussion about the plans for a post-16 campus for our island students is based on facts is obviously important,’ said Deputy Dudley-Owen.

‘Following States approval of our plans for the re-organisation of secondary and post-16 education, if anyone had been listening to opponents of those plans they would be forgiven for believing we are simply seeking to “move the sixth form centre down the road” at great expense.

‘That completely omits the fact that the majority of the total post-16 campus construction costs will be for the much-needed and long-overdue development for The Guernsey Institute, which has been anticipated now for at least 20 years.’

ESC claimed that a new sixth form centre would account for about one-fifth of the estimated total cost of its proposed post-16 campus. And it said the alternative – retaining the sixth form centre at Les Varendes – would have similar costs, damage students’ education and result in 1,200 students on a single site once La Mare de Carteret has merged with the Grammar School.

The States approved ESC’s plans in September 2021. But since then the estimated costs have increased by more than 25%, the committee has lost its construction partner and concerns have been expressed, including by teachers, about moving the sixth form centre to La Mare temporarily.

Policy & Resources has recommended continuing with the plans, at the same time as proposing a delay of years to a major redevelopment of the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, but ESC is battling to retain its majority in the Assembly in case July’s debate turns into a head-to-head battle between education and healthcare.

‘In the current fiscal climate, it’s right to question whether a standalone sixth form is the appropriate model. It’s economically and educationally sub-optimal. We’ll either take a hit on choice of subjects for students or lose financially,’ said Deputy de Sausmarez.

‘Not separating the sixth form into a standalone centre would save capital expenditure and ongoing costs and have better educational outcomes. That’s why I don’t think we should doggedly pursue the sixth form plans.

‘The concept of a sub-scale sixth form centre is what’s causing the problem, but the further education rebuild has been kicked down the road far too long so I’m supportive of progressing that element.’

Deputy Dudley-Owen said her committee was determined to build an excellent system of comprehensive education.

‘If we are serious about improving education in Guernsey and Alderney – and we do not believe the States can avoid this investment in post-16 education facilities any longer after years of uncertainty and indecision – then building a new sixth form centre as part of a wider post-16 campus not only represents value for money, but also ensures much greater educational benefit where students no longer have an inequitable offering for post-16 education and will all attend the new adult campus,’ she said.