‘Alternative Option’ best for students

During this time they have been working closely with the CoFE and ESC to provide strategic oversight and corporate governance for the CoFE as it moves towards self-management. The principal mid-term focus of the CoFE, with its governors, is to deliver the following:

• A move towards excellence

• A demand-led curriculum

• A closer relationship with industry

• Development and integration of all tertiary and higher education for Guernsey with the exception of core 16-18 A-level and IB studies

• A move from three imperfect campuses to one

The current plans have been halted as the States of Guernsey revisits the shape of secondary, tertiary and higher education on the island. Currently there are two proposals:

ESC option

• Three (private) colleges

• Three 11-16 secondary schools

• One 16-18 school for all core A-levels, IB and core 16-18 vocational students

• One technical college adult education including: apprentices, IHS, GTA and any vocational 16-18 students who do not fit in the 16-18 school

Alternative Option

• Three (private) colleges

• Two 11-18 schools – includes A-levels and IB

• One CoFE for all post-16 except

A- levels and IB

The board of governors, having consulted with stakeholders, supports the Alternative Option for the following reasons:

• While not all educational purists will fully agree with the detail, teaching staff agree it is the better option for Guernsey

• It is the only option that provides sufficient scale to maximise the opportunity for breadth of choice for students

• The alternative option will allow recruitment of the best teaching staff in all categories

• We believe that the complete segregation of 16-18 students, including A-level, IB and L3 vocational students in a school, is both wrong and not scalable in Guernsey.

• It is the option that allows Guernsey to provide the best of both academic and vocational expertise, and their myriad of differing benefits, to be optimised for students

• It is the option that allows the broadest choice for all stakeholders without compromise. Stakeholders include students, staff, parents and the States of Guernsey

Note: We assume that Le Murier, Les Voies and St Anne’s in Alderney are included in both options. However, we do strongly advocate local governance as soon as possible.

The independent governors on the board are wholly supportive of the Alternative Option. The make-up of the independent governors is primarily from industry and as a body they do not hold out to be educational experts. However, what is absolutely clear is that the CoFE has been the Cinderella of education for years. Lack of investment has resulted in totally inadequate accommodation, serious limitations due to poor technology and there has not been encouragement to partner with industry; the future employers of the students. Despite this, they continue to deliver their best, and in the last academic year delivered the most successful results for many years. The CoFE knows that it has to continue to modernise and improve.

In considering which of the two options is best and gives the greatest opportunity for the future, we have looked at a number of other options that could work in a perfect, and generally much larger, world. We have discussed the strengths of a broad tertiary college – and the strengths of an academic school – the value of some narrow, selective sixth form colleges, the value of specialist v. multi-option colleges, and single-focused specialist schools for ranges of differing abilities and needs, alongside the benefits of schools inclusive of students up to 18 years old. Guernsey cannot afford this much choice – nor has it the scale to provide everything for all stakeholders. Overall we believe the option that offers the best and broadest achievable choice is the Alternative Option.

It is hoped that the current States discussions will provide the platform and infrastructure for excellence. Our most important stakeholder, our students, demands this right.

JULIAN WINSER,

Chairman of (shadow) governors of the Guernsey College of Further Education.