Headteachers open letter says there will be 'no winners' if new school model is delayed
Nine education leaders in Guernsey say the island "cannot be paralysed by indecision" over the new school model, and there will be "no winners" should there be further delays.
The collection of headteachers have written an open letter saying they are worried about the welfare of students and recruitment of teaching staff if plans for the Lisia school are delayed or sent back to the drawing board.
However, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen says she drafting a requête to delay the current plans for the new school model following months of concern from both teachers and members of the public.
In September last year, Guernsey politicians backed £157m plans to reform the island's secondary education.
Deputies voted in favour of funding the reforms, which included a 'two-school model'of secondary education, with one-super school on two campuses after two days of debate.
The letter written on 14 January 2020 addressed three main areas of concern; 'the impact of delay', 'progressing the reforms' and 'moving forward'.
Issues surrounding the delay in the transition process focused on the current availability of GCSE options to all of Guernsey's students.
Whilst also addressing that a delay could mean the current Year 7 students "would be denied access to the broader range of GCSE options they’ve been promised", further concerns looked at the future for sixth form students.
It ended by acknowledging the impact a delay in the transition could have on recruitment in the island.
The education leaders say they "recognise that many islanders feel comparisons to England are unhelpful in a Guernsey context" but say the "plans will create colleges that are considerably larger than would be the case for schools in England with a similar number of students".
The letter acknowledged that in moving forward, if there is further delay, there will be "no winners" adding that the current uncertainty is causing anxiety, tension and wasted resource.
Senior educationalists who signed the open letter written to Guernsey States