Guernsey education leader's vow to fix 'funding conundrum'

Last week the States voted against plans to borrow more than £100m to fund the building of a new post-16 campus at Les Ozouets

The politician charged with reorganising Guernsey's secondary and post-16 education has vowed to work hard to solve the "funding conundrum" holding back progress.

It follows a debate last week in which politicians failed to approve funding proposals.

In a letter to parents, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen acknowledged their "desperate disappointment".

She said to have had funds withdrawn so late was "almost unthinkable".

The president of the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture said they were "no further ahead" with securing funds to build a new post-16 campus at Les Ozouets.

An image from the planning application for the future Les Ozouets Campus

Also unfunded were improvements to Les Varendes High School building and the creation of a Communication, Interaction and Autism Services base for students at Les Beaucamps High School.

Meanwhile, cash was also absent for "digital integration and improvements for The Guernsey Institute", she added.

She said all members had now given their approval for plans to deliver "all post 16 education" in a purpose-built campus at Les Ouzouets.

Ms Dudley-Owen added: "Deputies were clear during the lengthy debate that they were keen to work with us to find a solution to the funding conundrum."

She noted the States' rejection of a package of tax measures which could have funded building programmes, adding: "In the medium term, the lack of government investment in new education infrastructure will impact our ability to attract teachers and lecturers to come and work here."

This in turn would impact "education quality", she added, as well as the "future economic success" of the island.

"I want to reassure you that I am working hard to address this situation and will be going back to the States at the earliest opportunity seeking some form of resolution, so that we can move forwards with certainty," she said.

"As a parent myself with school age children, I know how desperately disappointed many of you must feel.

"To have funds withdrawn at such a late stage is almost unthinkable, especially because the plans were approved for delivery in September 2021 and are already part-way through being implemented."

She said staff would continue to work "extremely hard" to improve education delivery so children could reach their "full potential".

She noted the impact of "so many setbacks" on staff morale but said their focus was on children's education, adding that the committee would be "discussing the steps it will take to find a solution".

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