P&R asks for three-school comparison

Tuesday 18 February 2020

The States Committee in control of the purse strings wants Education to draw up comparisons with "the best value" three-school alternative - stressing that at least one 11-18 school is needed and that La Mare de Carteret High School is not rebuilt.

Policy & Resources' President Gavin St Pier and Vice-President Lyndon Trott have submitted an amendment to the "pause and review" requete seeking a middle ground that responds to the public's concerns without throwing current transition plans into disarray.

P&R wants the States to reaffirm its previous commitments to a model that ensures the best educational outcomes at the best price, but does not rule out support for an alternative to Education's one-school proposals. 

Pictured: Deputy St Pier said the concerns held by the community and teaching profession cannot be ignored. 

Deputies St Pier and Trott believe they have come up with a way to adhere to people's calls for a review of alternative models without disrupting students who are already in the transition to a one-school, two-colleges system. 

"[The amendment] directs the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture to include, for comparison, within the full business case for the currently approved two site model, the best value alternative configuration of campuses on three sites to most effectively meet the re-affirmed objectives and outcomes (taking into account transition costs, impact on students, whole life costs and expected educational outcomes) and the States’ commitment to co-located community services."

"For the avoidance of doubt, any comparison between models of two and three site utilisation from within the current education estate should not include the site of the current La Mare de Carteret High School. Further, the comparison should include one site with a co-located Sixth Form Centre."

Pictured: Deputy Fallaize has published his own amendment to the requete. 

"The Policy & Resources Committee is laying this amendment so that the States of Deliberation may re-affirm, or otherwise, their support for previous policy principles resolved on 19 January 2018 and again on 4 September 2019. Unlike the requête, this amendment seeks to keep current work streams on track while considering the concerns of the community within the current full business case, and should build on information already held by the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture in determining its proposals for which two sites should be brought forward."

The Committee is concerned that the requête "potentially re-opens the broad discussion on secondary, and unintentionally, tertiary education provision" and is looking for a more focussed approach if the States approves a pause and review. 

P&R has also stressed the importance of continue developing the Guernsey Institute as the approved tertiary model for vocational, professional and technical education for full-time and part-time students. 

Four other amendments against the requête have been lodged, including one submitted by ESC. All five amendments can be read HERE. 

Pictured: Deputies Lyndon Trott and Gavin St Pier over La Mare de Carteret High School.