In the meantime, the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture has warned that if the requête is successful, it would "stop work on the integration and development of The Guernsey Institute".

That is the name that's been given to the new body formed following the merger of the College of Further Education, the GTA University Centre and the Institute of Health and Care Studies.

Proposals for erecting a purpose-built facility at Les Ozouets were included in the accepted plans for the transformation of secondary education in 2018. 

ESC said "approving the requête on education would stop work on the integration of further and on-island higher education and indefinitely delay the construction of new purpose-built facilities for The Guernsey Institute at Les Ozouets."

Pictured l-r: Jakki Hughes, who has been appointed to run the Guernsey Institute, and Deputy Matt Fallaize. 

The Committee said it would be impossible to continue this work given the directions in the requête, with ESC President, Deputy Matt Fallaize adding: 

“The Requete directs the Committee to enter into what would inevitably be a lengthy review of multiple models of secondary education which have been considered and dismissed previously. These include a tertiary college combining all elements of post-16 education – including A Levels and further education – and the previous Committee’s rejected proposal to split the College of Further Education in two and create two new separate, illogical and probably unworkable institutions across post-16 education. Secondary and further education are two sides of the same coin. While multiple models affecting both phases are being pointlessly reviewed again – any one of which may ultimately be implemented – it would be impossible to continue the excellent work which has been going on over the past year to establish The Guernsey Institute, which integrates the three States-funded providers of further and higher education, and to get them into new purpose-built facilities according to the timeline we have set out and had approved by the States.”

This opinion has been refuted by the three deputies behind the requeête to pause and review the transformation of secondary education though.

Pictured l-r: Deputies Andrea Dudley-Owen, Rob Prow and Carl Meerveld were behind the requête calling for education to 'pause and review' the two-school plans. 

Lead requêrante, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen said ESC are trying to distract from the growing public opposition to their 'two-school' plans.

"The assertion by the Committee for Education Sport & Culture that the Requête on Determining the Best Model for Secondary Education will stop work on the Guernsey Institute is a concoction. In reality this appears to be an attempt to distract from the main issue. 

"The Requête clearly directs in its prayer, and is limited to, the Committee not entering 'into any contractual obligations on behalf of the States or continue with any associated procurement processes for implementation of any of the 1 school on 2 sites plan'. 

"Despite the Committee’s attempts to state otherwise, the Requête is abundantly clear in its purpose and intent. This is yet another bid to deflect attention from the serious opposition that the 1 school on 2 sites model is now facing."

Pictured: Deputies Matt Fallaize and Andrea Dudley-Owen.