Slash Overseas aid I agree with. Contributions should be linked by reference to our annual surplus. If we don't have a surplus, then no contribution, but give a bit more in boom times. Removing College subsidies would save nothing at all. (Sorry everyone - I will have just caused Spartacus to spontaneously combust). The hard facts are that it costs the States an average of between £6000 and £7000 a year to educate a child in the States secondary system. The States gives a contribution of around £2100 per child per annum who is educated at the Colleges, with the parents picking up the balance (of around £6000 as College education is more expensive. So it only costs the States around one-third of what it costs if the child was educated in the States system. A cost to the taxpayer of £2100 per child per annum at the Colleges versus a cost of between £6000 and £7000 at a States school makes the current system very beneficial to the taxpayer. Remove the subsidy and an unknown number of parents would simply withdraw their children (and their parental subsidies) and the taxpayer has to pick up an extra £4000 to £5000 per such child per annum. Yes, it's true that this might also partially reduce the cost per capita of educating each child in the States system, but the overall quantum would still be higher for the taxpayer. It would be "Armageddon" for the Education Department if huge numbers of parents took the withdrawal route. The secondary schools could not cope with the extra capacity - a new school would be needed to be built overnight. Bear in mind also that these parents who currently contribute so much of the education bill are also taxpayers who are not taking up their right to free education for their children. As times get harder, some will have to move anyway to the States system, so Education's bill will rise anyway. It's already going to rise due to the surge in university education costs. That's one budget which is going to come under massive pressure.
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
