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A public meeting tonight will discuss the official proposals for the future of secondary education in Guernsey.
The plans include three schools for 11 to 16 year olds, with amended plans for post 16 education which would be offered across two sites.
The proposals, which have been put forward by the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture, follow on from the debate in March 2016 to remove selection at age 11, replacing it with an all ability system. At the time, the then Education Department was also directed to reduce the number of States run secondary schools from four (The Guernsey Grammar School and St Sampson's, Les Beaucamps and La Mare de Carteret High schools) to three.
The official proposals for three all ability secondary schools, catering for 11-16 year olds, with a sixth form college and a further and higher education institute were released last year, to some criticism from those who felt it wasn't the best model for the island.
The alternative proposals, suggested by the so-called 'gang of four' deputies, are for two secondary schools, catering for 11-18 year olds with higher education offered through the College of Further Education. The two school model has been researched and formally proposed by deputies Matt Fallaize, Richard Graham, Rhian Tooley and Mark Dorey as a direct alternative to the official proposals for a three school model from the Committee for ESC. Both will be debated later this week when the States of Guernsey meets for the first time in 2018.
A number of amendments have been lodged to be debated alongside the proposals. Those amendments include the proposals for the two school model as well as an amendment from the President and Deputy President of ESC to amend their own plans for the sixth form college and high education provision and a further amendment from former deputy ESC President, Deputy Carl Meerveld to further explore plans for post 16 education in the Bailiwick.
Ahead of the States' meeting, two public meetings and two drop in sessions were planned, with one of each on both the official and alternative proposals:
The public meeting on Monday 15 January will be live streamed on Facebook via the States of Guernsey's page for those who can't attend in person but still wish to hear what is said. The live stream of the meeting on the alternative proposals was viewed by thousands of people, with more than a thousand commenting.
There is more information on all of the proposals and the meetings and drop in sessions here.
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