Select a region
Construction experts have decried the state of Guernsey's tax payer owned educational estate saying the island should be ashamed of the poor state it is in.
The Guernsey Building Trades Employers Association has suggested that buildings are as important as the quality of lessons taught, when they are in as a poor a state as some of the island's are.
In a letter sent to all deputies at the outset of the 2024 Budget debate, which started yesterday, the GBTEA said: "We often hear people say education is about teaching and learning, not about buildings.
"That’s a lovely sound bite but is a totally flawed statement when your buildings are in such a poor state, they are compromising teaching and learning, and demotivating learners and staff."
That is believed to be in reference to The Guernsey Institute sites at Les Ozouets, Les Coutanchez and Delancey as well as some of the school sites.
Pictured: You can read the GBTEA's letter in full HERE.
The Guernsey Institute campus at Les Ozouets - formerly St Peter Port Secondary School - was next in line for redevelopment out of the educational estate.
While La Mare de Carteret High School is in a phased closure, the plan was to build a new post-16 campus at Les Ozouets with the entire Guernsey Institute on one site along with a new sixth form centre.
That would mean the current sixth form centre at Les Varendes would be absorbed into the new high school there, while La Mare de Carteret High would close when the final students there have taken their GCSEs.
The States debate last month saw political support for maintaining that approach but no money was assigned to the project meaning questions still remain over exactly how the rebuilding programme will be tackled.
The GBTEA said the ongoing uncertainty around projects like this are difficult for everyone to cope with, including those waiting to get started on the construction work.
"The uncertainty surrounding secondary and further education in Guernsey, and particularly the lack of investment in our further education facilities, is having a significant detrimental effect on recruitment and retention of education staff," it said in its open letter to deputies.
Pictured: ESC are hoping to amend the Budget to enable the building work to go ahead at Les Ozouets.
This week, the States are debating the island's 2024 Budget and the Education, Sport and Culture President is hoping to win funding for the department's infrastructure plans.
The GBTEA said even if the money is now found, it is too late to defend the island against any embarrassment caused by the "inept handling" of the educational estate.
"The condition of Guernsey’s further education facilities is an embarrassment," wrote the GBTEA.
"Because of the States of Guernsey’s political flip-flopping and inept handling of this topic over the last decade, all the island’s further education estate is now well past its design life. These buildings were not intended to still be in use, consequently, substantial sums are having to be spent patching-up old buildings which should have been demolished years ago. Some of the facilities, particularly Countanchez, are in extremely poor condition.
"We should be ashamed we’ve let the education strategy of this island, and some of the facilities we provide our young people to learn in, get into this state. Yet, following the Funding & Investment Plan debate last month, we are faced with the absurd situation of having an agreed programme to finally transform the structure of secondary and further education, and construct the requisite facilities…. but no funding to do it!"
The GBTEA represents 127 local building and allied trades employers - many of whom would be employed to work on the various aspects of the redevelopment of Les Ozouets and any further work on the educational estate.
The GBTEA also explained how there are currently 313 apprentices in the Bailiwick, of which 70% are employed in the construction industry, but they are also learning in buildings which are no longer fit for purpose.
"The vast majority of these are employed by GBTEA members," said the letter, of the apprentices.
"Together with all the other students studying the range of technical, vocational, and professional courses provided by the Guernsey Institute, these young people want to learn how to provide many of the essential services our island relies on. They are an important part of our demographic and the vast majority stay on island positively contributing to our skills base, working age population profile and economy."
Pictured: The GBTEA represents construction firms.
"However, they tell us the state of the facilities, and the knock-on effects that has on staffing and morale, make them feel like second class citizens."
The GBTEA made it clear that they do not blame the education staff at all for the state ops the island's estate but rather the political members of the States of Guernsey.
"The awful irony is that in the pursuance of delivering a model of education which provides equality, we have – through the States of Guernsey’s own prevarication – blindly staggered our way into eroding the equitability of post-16 education in the island," it said.
OPINION: GBTEA on the education estate
LETTER: "If the States deliver a clear plan, the construction industry will deliver that plan"
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.