Education divides three into one

That will change over the next few months as three very different educational centres are merged.

The ambition at the heart of plans to combine the College of Further Education, GTA University Centre and the Institute of Health and Social Care Studies should not be underestimated.

Ultimately, the new ‘Guernsey Institute’ could be a stepping stone to a full partnership with a UK university. It should also cut out inefficient overlaps inherent in the current model.

Such grand plans are not without risk, however. The business sector, in particular, has voiced its concerns that subsuming the GTA into a larger body could damage the high quality business courses on which it has built a strong reputation.

Education recognises that the three bodies have different clients with different needs and has promised that the three bodies would not simply be ‘smashed together’.

To ensure this it created an integration committee chaired by Professor Richard Conder, the first chief executive appointed by the Guernsey Training Agency.

The heads of all three bodies have been heavily involved in drawing up the plans and the College of FE governors have already given the merger plans an enthusiastic welcome.

So far so good.

There is much work to be done, however, before all worries about how to preserve the best elements of each institution can be allayed.

A top level principal capable of managing such a sensitive transformation from three to one must be appointed before the organisations can start combining in July,

A shadow board must be formed and the daunting task of redrafting the Education Law needs to be completed before full integration can go ahead.

All of this will take place while secondary education undergoes fundamental change.

It is an ambitious programme which will require substantial support from both within and without education to have any chance of succeeding.