Mr Ozanne led Education between 1997 and 2008. He has since been reluctant to intervene publicly in ongoing debates about the future of education in the States' sector.
But after hearing the Guernsey Press’ recent Politics Podcast interview with Education, Sport & Culture president Paul Montague, Mr Ozanne was moved to comment.
‘Many mistakes have been made over the period since I left in 2008,’ he said.
‘The most important was for States members not to vote for two 11-18 schools and separately a new Guernsey Institute next to the Performing Arts Centre.’
Hear the interview with Deputy Montague on the latest Guernsey Press Politics Podcast
He said that the possibility of sixth forms at the two high schools had been incorporated into previous States’ plans, in some cases when they were developed.
Mr Ozanne was leading Education when St Sampson’s High School was built in the mid-2000s. It was intended to have the option of an extra wing, but this had never happened. At Les Beaucamps, the States purchased extra land near the school, including a former chapel, with a view to a future extension.
The previous States agreed a new Sixth Form Centre in a future building phase at Les Ozouets. But the estimated cost has since soared to £50m. and Deputy Montague indicated that it may now be infeasible and other options had to be studied.
Mr Ozanne said it was the perfect time to look again at having sixth form centres at Les Beaucamps and St Sampson’s.
‘Listening to him on the podcast, I thought “this is a guy who really knows what he’s talking about”,’ said Mr Ozanne.
‘I sensed they would like to think about moving back to the two-schools, two-sixth forms model.’
He believed that doing this could cost less than creating a new sixth form at Les Ozouets, which would still feature a new Guernsey Institute, and be good for education locally.
One additional benefit of having sixth forms on the same site as secondary schools would be attracting more teachers, since they could teach both GCSE and A-Levels, or the International Baccalaureate, at the same school.
‘The retention of staff and the ability to attract new staff would, I think, be much easier,’ said Mr Ozanne.
‘There’s still time to change. It might take a tiny bit more time but we’re talking about something that’s going to last another 10-20 years. I think Deputy Montague and the people he has on board now will make the right decision. I have a lot of confidence in them.’
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