EDUCATION minister Carol Steere has defended her views after stating her belief that the £4.5m. subsidy to the island’s colleges could be better spent elsewhere.

Deputy Steere (pictured) has come in for criticism from the colleges’ head teachers, parents and even members of her own department for airing her views in an interview last week.

But she hit back yesterday, saying she was responding to a question and would always give an honest answer.

‘I made it clear that I was expressing my own opinion and not that of the department,’ she said.

‘I could not be dishonest. I was asked the question and responded truthfully. I did not bring this issue up. The one thing that I would hope the public would respect with me is my principles. I will always give an honest answer.’

Education currently pays nearly £3m. a year for up to 364 students to attend the three private colleges on scholarships – contributing the pupil’s fees plus a little more than £2,000 as a subsidy.

The department also pays that same subsidy, totalling more than £1.5m, for every fee-paying student. There are currently approximately 400 spaces across the island’s schools, although Education could not say how many of these were in the secondary sector.