Sixth form move to La Mare in doubt after ESC loses funding

It intended to move it there for at least a year from 2025 before building a new one alongside a redeveloped Guernsey Institute at Les Ozouets. But on Friday the States de-funded the committee’s £130m. reorganisation of secondary and further education.

It became clear after that vote that Education, Sport & Culture had no immediate ‘plan B’ for the future of the Guernsey Institute, part of which is currently operating out of ageing sites, or the Sixth Form Centre, which is based at Les Varendes.

‘We need clearly to list all the risks and assess those and understand what is feasible and what is no longer feasible. At this stage, it is not possible to say,’ said ESC president Andrea Dudley-Owen.

‘I can’t give any immediate, exact timelines. But I hope that within the next few weeks we’re going to be able to start to formulate some ideas around how we get out of this stalemate, which is what we’re in.’

• Listen to reaction to what was decided in our Shorthand States podcast, with Simon De La Rue and Matt Fallaize

Some members who backed an unsuccessful amendment to retain an 11-18 school in the States sector urged ESC to compromise and keep the sixth form at Les Varendes and boost support for a standalone new Guernsey Institute at Les Ozouets.

‘We do need to consider how we might fund the Guernsey Institute at Les Ozouets,’ said Deputy Yvonne Burford.

‘I am confident that majority support for funding it can be found provided that ESC now agrees to the permanent retention of the sixth form at Les Varendes, formerly the Grammar School, and also abandons the idea of moving sixth form students to La Mare de Carteret.’

The seconder of the amendment, Peter Roffey, who supported Policy & Resources’ defeated tax-raising package, which would have funded the capital works in education, believed some members rejected borrowing for the project largely because they were ‘convinced ESC’s proposed standalone micro-sixth form college was such a huge mistake’.

‘It really isn’t for me to advise ESC, but if I was in their position I would see the obvious answer as building consensus to get 90% of what they want, which would include the new Guernsey Institute at Les Ozouets, and expanded facilities for the 11-18 school at Les Varendes,’ said Deputy Roffey.

Deputy Dudley-Owen said that some deputies were ‘prejudiced’ against her committee’s reorganisation and that their votes against funding it were ‘pretty calamitous and short-sighted’. And she apologised to students for the States’ decision.

Asked if her committee would consider resigning after its defeat, she said: ‘Not at this point, no. We need to sit with a cool head after some thinking time and ascertain what the options are going forward.

‘This wasn’t my project. This was a proposal I led in the States. We were successful. People understood the vision. They got behind the vision. But there has been a kernel of opposition for quite some time now, essentially from the get-go.

‘This is a States-wide policy. Members need to understand that by de-funding the project there needs to be support for the committee about how we move ourselves from stalemate.’

Some members who rejected P&R’s flagship tax-raising, borrowing and spending plan spent the weekend urging colleagues to find a way to fund ESC’s reorganisation.

‘We need to allow Education to continue with its building project. That was specifically approved, albeit apparently de-funded by mistake owing to the curious structuring of the final propositions after so many amendments,’ said John Dyke.

‘I think some deputies may be tired and emotional after a gruelling week. Everyone needs to calm down over a drink or two and get back to work bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on Monday.’

Deputy Dyke said he was opposed to further talk of an early general election and motions of no confidence in defeated committees.