Education “astounded” with amendments seeking to stop Les Ozouets development

Wednesday 18 October 2023

ESC is “astounded” that two amendments seeking to put the brakes on the Les Ozouets sixth form centre development have been published at all.

The Committee for Education, Sport and Culture has shared a briefing note its President circulated among deputies prior to debate.

Deputies continue to debate the various amendments lodged against Policy and Resources' Funding and Investment Plan.

Pictured: Deputies Matthews and Roffey want to stop the development of the Les Ozouets campus as a sixth form centre. 

Amendment 8 was submitted by deputies Aidan Matthews and Peter Roffey and has subsequently been absorbed and replaced by amendment 10, which covers the same ground but adds in an additional proposal. 

If permission is granted for amendment 10 to be laid as a late amendment it’s understood that it’ll replace amendment 8. 

Both amendments direct ESC to “not to enter into any contractual obligations on behalf of the States or continue with any associated procurement processes nor construction of the single post 16 campus described as ‘Sixth Form Centre in a new building at Les Ozouets Campus co-located with The Guernsey Institute’”. 

It also orders ESC to “make such arrangements as necessary to return stability to secondary education with the continuity of provision of Sixth Form education at Les Varendes and to direct the Committee and, if the resources of the Committee are insufficient, the Policy & Resources Committee to provide the resources necessary to provide the secondary and Sixth Form education facilities at Les Varendes as required for the benefit of the community”. 

Amendment 10, if allowed and subsequently approved, would order ESC to continue with the development of the Guernsey Institute without the attached sixth form centre. 

The amendments were laid relatively late in the day, with amendment 10 only being shared with ESC officers earlier this week.  

“We find it astounding that, for a Programme of this magnitude and complexity anyone could lay an Amendment of such profound consequence with no previous engagement with Officers of the Committee and then expect a detailed impact assessment in respect of these Amendments to be carried out at such short notice, and with no formal consultation with the Committee,” ESC said in a briefing note to deputies. 

“We express in the strongest terms that it is wholly unacceptable for the professionals most knowledgeable about the Transforming Education Programme to be afforded so little time to assess the impact of Amendments with such far-reaching consequences for something as important as the delivery of education in our jurisdiction.  

“We ask Members to reflect on whether this is an appropriate way to develop policy for the transformation of such a vital public service. We understand that some Members do not agree with the delivery model being implemented – but the time has come to move beyond that, our staff and students deserve a carefully considered and developed approach, and that is what the Committee has been working with them to design and has been delivering over the past two years.” 

ESC argues that the impact of the amendments would be to keep students in poor accommodation and lead to further uncertainty for staff and students. 

Debate continues...