Guernsey’s Committee for Education, Sport & Culture has identified the need for significant capital investment into IT services and has requested up to £5.8 million to improve digital services across the education estate as part of their ambitious transformation programme.
This investment is included in the £157 million of funding requested by the CfESC which will be debated by the States in early September, along with the extension and improvement of the selected sites for Victor Hugo College and de Saumarez College, the build for The Guernsey Institute which will provide further and higher education, and a new La Mare Primary School.
The investment is planned to provide upgrades to network bandwidth and ensure that teachers and students have access to high quality reliable equipment. It is also meant to provide more responsive technical support, ensuring that time can be used as effectively as possible to improve learning.
The planned investment is based on the Digital Roadmap (the Aspire2Be report commissioned by the previous Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, completed in 2018), which indicated how digital technology in schools could be improved and used to maximum effect in the future. While this report focussed on primary and secondary education, requirements for further and higher education have been included in the digital transformation plans.
Louise Misselke, Principal of the College of Further Education, said:
“The existing digital infrastructure across the College does not yet reflect that of the modern workplace environment our students need to experience as part of their learning. We welcome this investment in providing the resources our staff and students need, as well as ongoing staff training that will further enable our lecturersto support students’ learning. Almost every profession uses technology at every level of role. Therefore, it is vital that all our students whether full time, Apprentice orpart time enhance and develop the necessary digital skills to be successful.”
The Committee is also exploring the option to introduce immersive classrooms, which will enable lessons to take place across more than one site. This would allow broadening of the curriculum offer, including facilitating more mixed programmes across the new Colleges, The Guernsey Institute, and St Anne’s School in Alderney.
As well as investment in infrastructure and hardware, funding has been set aside for training in order that teachers feel confident using new technology, and are able to develop their skills to use the technology as effectively as possible to enhance learning.
This investment will engage learners with a richer mix of media, according to The States of Guernsey, to ensure they are “equipped to take control of their own learning and encourage deeper understanding through the use of technology, which will benefit them as they move into further or higher education and the workplace.”
