DESPITE the States spending £40,000 on a review of the Education Department, there remains a widespread belief that something remains hidden and ‘the truth’ has yet to emerge.
That view was reinforced yesterday by questions in the House seeking to establish how many senior staff had left in recent years and what that might have cost. The answer, in a roundabout way, is four and £130,000 and this may or may not have been a cost to the taxpayer, depending on how you define taxpayer.
That figure, however, is hard to believe.
An average of £32,500 for senior employees seems very low if that is even partial compensation for loss of earnings and a reduced pension.
One recent, high-profile, enforced departure from Education’s ranks put her losses at closer to £500,000 and seemed happy enough with the eventual - undisclosed - settlement.
In addition, when the States was criticised in 2006 for the way it had tried to keep down the costs of making a former Children Board officer redundant, the enhanced pension costs alone were £130,000.
Yesterday’s response to the questions was also puzzling in claiming that no taxpayers’ money was used in the early retirement of two senior Education staff because they were funded through the Teachers’ Pension Fund, a pot of money formed by the taxpayer meeting the employer’s contributions.
The impression left by the review and these questions is that there is some very clever playing with words going on and that the real story has yet to emerge.
Until it does, the digging by deputies will not stop.
One Article Comment
The claim that no taxpayer money was used to finance the early retirement of senior Education Department officers is clearly rubbish. Even if the argument is that the retirement fund is,as you say, financed by contributions the bulk of the contributions are paid by the taxpayer.
Rather more sinister is the feeling that the government and its PR system is more and more prepared to deceive , or try to deceive the public
An excellent Comment that asks the right questions. The figures given per staff member is very low. Buying pension years for those retiring early is very expensive. Seems Education are unaware of this.
The one good thing is that more and more people are realising you can’t trust what the Education Department says.