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The likely delays with the new Post-16 campus, coupled with ongoing pay disputes and resourcing issues are leaving the island's teachers and lecturers in "testing times" with morale suffering.
Following the news that RG Falla has been dropped as the contractor for the rebuild of the Les Ozouets campus just weeks before the demolition of the former St Peter Port Secondary School was due to begin, Express has asked union representatives what the feeling is among the staff who will be affected.
Commenting on behalf of the University and College Union, Dan Hunter told Express that members are "extremely disappointed at the news".
Mr Hunter is an ICT Lecturer at the Guernsey College of Further Education. The College of FE now sits under the Guernsey Institute which also encompasses the Guernsey Training Agency and the Institute of Health and Social Care Studies.
Pictured: The Guernsey Institute is bringing together all aspects of post 16 education in the island.
The Post-16 Campus is intended to be built at the former St Peter Port Secondary School site at Les Ozouets in a larger, modern development with all of the Guernsey Institute offerings in one place, alongside a sixth form centre and the existing Performing Arts Centre.
Mr Hunter said that members of the local branch of the UCU are now concerned that the delayed start to the building work at Les Ozouets will have a knock on effect on all of the other plans, including those for the transformation of secondary education.
"Our members are extremely disappointed at the news," he said.
"Our major concern is that this could compromise the post-16 project; the budget was set pre-Covid, pre-Brexit, pre-conflict in Ukraine. These have all had a huge impact on the island economy.
"We have been assured by the project team that work still continues on the transformation. However, our members continue to provide an excellent learning experience in outdated accommodation, and this further delay is yet another blow to morale in testing times."
Pictured: Dan Hunter (centre) and some of his colleagues at the College of FE.
As well as working in "outdated accommodation", Mr Hunter said he and his colleagues across the College of FE, the Guernsey Institute and within schools, face other challenges - all of which need resolving if staff morale is ever to be improved.
"We recognise the relevant departments have worked hard to avoid this outcome and its inevitable effect on staff morale," he said. "We ask for the same efforts be made to address the stalled pay dispute and current resourcing issues facing teachers and lecturers."
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