College funding to be cut
Wednesday 28th September 2011, 5:28PM BST.
Elizabeth College will share the impact of the £1.1m. cuts with Ladies' College and Blanchelande.
ELIZABETH College, Ladies College and Blanchelande will have their States funding cut.
The States late this afternoon accepted Policy Council proposals to gradually reduce its support for the colleges so that by 2018 it would be £1.11m. a year less.
But, despite the support, members from different sides of the debate raised a raft of concerns about the proposals and how they were created.
- More on this story in Thursday’s Guernsey Press
Island Life
All about Guernsey
Ambassador of the Year 2011
History & Heritage
Visitor Information
Guernsey's government
Campaigns
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
This is Guernsey
Guernsey Press
Useful Links
Congratulations Deputies!
On the very day we learn that the High Schools have terrible results, despite massive investment, the States risk the success of the Colleges for a (relatively) small saving.
I really despair and feel it is time to move on. Where is it all heading? Why can’t anyone see that Education in Guernsey is in a terrible mess and why isn’t anything done??
Report abuse
It’s because the majority of the deputies think that they can get away with such a thing. My child got a scholarship to go to Ladies’ College, I am hoping that her education will not be hindered in any way because of this. However even though I say that, LC have been operating in an old school with even older huts for some time now and still manage to get good results.
The States really have got this all wrong. Rather than trying to save a pittance over this time, they should be keeping the funding to the colleges intact to make sure that they can keep producing the good results. Then they desperately need to look at those horrendous results from LMdC. It seems that someone thinks that it’s worth concentrating on all the bitty things rather than spending their time working on the bigger more important things.
Report abuse
rachel have a look around La Mare De Carteret school it’s falling apart it’s totally overcrowded it’s had the upheavel of having to take lots of students from the old St. Peter Port school. You go on about portacabins well LMDC is a wholly prefabed building. As I said the said Rachel and Penny think £1,100,000 is a small sum of money well I don’t and frankly it will cost feepayers 62p per school day more. I suspect that the colleges feel they have got off very lightly.
Report abuse
kevin – have a look around St Sampsons High. All sparkly and new, super facilities, no over crowding.
Results – still cr*p.
Your point is exactly?
Report abuse
gilthead
my point is exactly this…. Rachel was saying conditions at LC are bad I’m saying they are worse at LMDC that is all. if you don’t believe me go and have a look around for youself. Therefore the money saved by cutting college funding could be used there. As in my previous posts the cut is going to cost 62p per school day per feepayer for goodness sake get over it penny and rachel.
I made no comment on exam results but as you mentioned it what appears to be lost in all this is that Les Beaucamps got a super result. 37.2% of pupils passed five GCSE subjects at A* to C. Thats more than 50% of pupils who “failed” the 11+.Don’t forget when making comparisons. the vast majority of comprehensives in the U.K. would include pupils who would have “passed” the 11+ here. Whilst catchment area may have some effect the Education Dept should get up there and compare what is done at Les Beaucamps to what is done at the other two high schools.
Report abuse
States members looking for easy points scoring by knocking the colleges. Fantastic results and these are in general the people who go on to pay the most taxes and give back to the islands.
Why not shut down St Sampsons primary(only kept open to keep a few sentimental people happy) and put that money to the colleges. God knows how much empire building public sector workers have spent on StSampson High pupils building that new building (not that they are undeserving should just be shared around).
Report abuse
Kevin – just letting you know that thats a different Rachel above.
I absolutely don’t think that £1.1M is a small sum at all. But taking into account any drop-out students as well as administrative costs, time taken in the states arguing the cause and salaries of those people involved in the discussion… discussing it over and over again… it might actually end up being a different figure when stating “actual” savings. But i totally agree with you that £1.1M is NOT a small sum. I also note that you quote the lowest fee increase which is being staggered over a few years rather than the end figure. You have done this several times indicating a blatant bias as everyone knows it is more than that in the end… but feel free to quote the low one as it supports your argument better -have you ever considered a job in the education dept?
You keep on banging on that people will absorb the costs and I agree that they will generally but not everyone will. You just have to look at mortgage foreclosures when interest rates go up just a little- seems like such a small amount to some people but for others they are forced to sell their house. I am lucky as I’m not in the position to be effected by these fee rises but I personally know people who withdrew their children after the fees rose a couple of years ago and whilst I feel that the education they get elsewhere may be just as good (as you do too) I feel for them as they have had the choice taken away from them.. which is what happens when you endeavour to make a system purely elitist. The middleclass is being cut out. This is what I don’t want to happen. This is what I am against. Perhaps, to counteract this (and I’ve stated this before) the colleges should increase fees more than proposed in order to introduce their own set of partial scholarships to those students already performing well at the colleges but they are in danger of losing due to the family being unable to afford the fee increases. This may (hopefully) be in agreement I believe with Kevins proposal of more scholarships – but ones which aren’t wholly subsidised by the states.
I absolutely agree with you Kevin that LMDC looks like its falling apart but so does the Ladies College. When I inspected the LC I honestly could not believe it was a private school… more like a mental institution (sorry for the honesty). Its amazing the results they get in spite of this. In comparison, St Sampsons school looks absolutely fantastic and Grammar looks pretty damn exceptional as well. I’m looking forward to the completion of the Beaucamps build and I really hope it makes a difference. Perhaps a LMDC rebuild is in the future works plan? However, in spite of its buildings, LC demonstrates that you can’t judge a book by its cover alone.
Report abuse
rachel
what are you talking about?
you haven’t been able to challenge my figures so you go off on a wild tangent.
fact is NOBODY but NOBODY is going to leave the colleges because the fees MAY go up by £21 per week max phased in over seven years for goodness sake.It’s 62p per school day the whole increase per week amounts to the price of a large glass of wine please please get off this silly arguement that people cannot afford it and will leave. the funding debate is about exactly that and only that.
Report abuse
Strict environment = good results – I suggest that teachers are allowed to discipline students and then better results might be achieved – it is not the building sitting the exam.
Report abuse
Agree 100% Lewis.
Umm Kevin, £21 per week does not equal 62p per school day.
Even £21 per week is pittance to some and most (I want you to note that I’m agreeing with you here) will simply absorb it…. but for a small percentage of families, maybe those with multiple children, it will be a deal breaker. It’s not a wild tangent and no real stretch of the imagination to see that for some families it will be an issue. Simple.
Report abuse
Lewis – forgot to add the obvious “within reason” of course. The problems facing the schools are more than skin deep.
Report abuse
Kevin i think your judgement that every fee payer’s parents can afford an extra 62 p a day is insulting.
Some people give up a hell of a lot to pay those fees as they want the best for those kids and its not easy (ps i don’t pay any fees i just know people who struggled)
Report abuse