Save money by spending on high schools to accommodate extra pupils

A governor of one of the three colleges tells me that the colleges could potentially be interested in increasing their numbers each by between 100-150 pupils.

The colleges would accept pupils from the States schools contingent post-11 years by simple entrance exam, as they do normally. The Education Department would pay the colleges the average States cost per pupil per year of education, of approximately £5,000, which is likely to be acceptable to them.

This, coupled with the significant falling demographics of school-age pupils, would mean that two secondary schools, 11-18 years, of approximately 1,100 pupils or fewer, each including a sixth form, would only be necessary in the States education sector.

Education accepts that 11-18 schools give the best education results as per the UK analysis.

Why not consider the following which will probably mean only marginal delays?

Spend approximately £15m. each on both Les Beaucamps and St Sampson’s High Schools, equalling £30m., so they can accommodate the extra pupils, and install the new Guernsey Institute in the old Grammar School building at a cost of £20m. refurbishment. Total cost £50m., saving millions and delivering a better educational outcome.

The performing arts centre would remain as is and a large surrounding site could possibly be considered for sheltered housing, as would the old College of Further Education site.

The notional traffic problem, according to Arups, can be satisfactorily resolved with well-organised school buses and island-wide school bus pick up points.

I know this is a political ‘hot potato’ but this is a very substantial sum of money, which given our island finances, should not be idly thrown away.

This does not even take account of the considerable annual savings of not having to fund a third school and separate sixth form centre, meaning millions of pounds of extra costs saved over time.

Peter Bachmann