EDUCATION member Dan Le Cheminant says his minister and deputy minister’s U-turn over student loans left him feeling betrayed. ‘I couldn’t believe what was happening. I was absolutely convinced the department would vote in favour of continuing with the current grant system.’
The department asked the States to make up a £2.5m. shortfall in the higher education budget. The alternative was to introduce loans from September 2009.
‘We met earlier in the week and we were saying very strongly that we would all support proposition one ‘increased funding’.
‘I was very disappointed that the two highest members of the board ‘minister Martin Ozanne and deputy minister Wendy Morgan’ switched to support loans,’ he said.
‘To see two main members of the board switch allegiance was really disappointing.’
Deputy Le Cheminant and Deputy Dave Grut were the only board members to vote in favour of Education’s own proposal. Deputy Hunter Adam abstained.
Now Deputy Le Cheminant, the Father of the House who will be stepping down at the April election, said he had to consider his position on the board.
‘We do have a good education system and I do believe I want to be part of that, but at this point I am so disillusioned.
‘Part of me questions whether I can go on hitting my head against a brick wall.’
Deputy Le Cheminant said he was sure Friday’s decision would put many off attending university.
‘On the mainland when young people take out loans they are unfortunately getting into quite serious difficulty.
‘I think it will deter some people who are from less well-off families from going to university and that is wrong,’ he said.
‘In the Government Business Plan it states very clearly that everyone should have an equal opportunity for education throughout their lives, no matter what financial situation their parents might be in.
‘Now we are going to have a group of young people who, even if they want to go to university and have the capability of going to university, will not go unless they can afford it.’
Cherry Godfrey will administer loans of £3,000 per year, to be paid back over 12 years after graduation, under a newly formed agency the Guernsey Student Loans Company.
John Angliss, one of four local undergraduates who in August last year launched a petition calling on the States to reconsider the proposed introduction of loans, said the outcome of Friday’s debate would prevent some from continuing.
‘I think for some starting university courses, the fear of being in debt at the end of their degree as well as moving to a different country and the rest of it will be too much,’ said Mr Angliss, 19, who is studying politics at the University of London.
‘I would still go but I know there are others who will not.
‘It is a shame that we can be in the situation where people can be put off doing a degree, which will make a potential difference to their own life, purely for financial reasons,’ he said.
He thanked those who had voted in favour of increasing funding but was disappointed that Education members had voted against.
‘One of the only consolations,’ he said, ‘is that the proposals are a lot better than those that would have been taken to the House in November 2006 when Education recommended loans be set at £4,500.’
Loading ...
Share this article:
What are these?