Education head 'frustrated' by funding delays

Nick Hynes said education was "in a critical position" and that doing nothing was "not an option"

Education leaders in Guernsey have said they are "sorry and frustrated" by a lack of funding for schools and that they were concerned over what it meant for the future of pupils and teachers.

A brand new education site at The Guernsey Institute (TGI) and at the Sixth Form Centre is on hold as there is "currently no funding".

Director of Education Nick Hynes wrote to parents warning that unless politicians agreed to give education more money, plans to improve schools would not go ahead.

Mr Hynes said there was also no funding for a specialist service at Les Beaucamps High School for pupils with additional needs and that the Youth Commission and the Music Service would remain in temporary buildings.

Nick Hynes said he was "sorry and frustrated" by the funding issues

Repair work to the Les Varendes campus, formally the Grammar School, also does not have funding to bring it up to modern standards.

Mr Hynes said education was "in a critical position" and that doing nothing was "not an option".

He said: "I worry that the quality of provision, the quality of the infrastructure that we have particularly for our TGI and College of Further Education won't necessarily impinge on the quality of education immediately.

"But over time, undoubtedly, it is going to have an impact without a doubt, not having the funding to move forward with the programme impinges the speed at which we can make that progress."

'Ready to go'

Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, said funding for education should be a priority.

She said: "It is short-sighted not to invest in education.

"Funds have been found for other projects and they are states-approved projects but the timing of those projects and the delivery of those projects is in quite some years' time.

"We're ready to go, we're poised on the blocks, so any thoughts of leaving our children in debt as opposed to investing in their education are misplaced."