Education face budget cut despite promise of investment

Friday 25 September 2015

Trying to raise standards in schools with a quarter of a million pounds less to spend on education next year doesn’t add up, according to a scrutiny panel who say our children’s education will suffer.

Education Minister Rod Bryans has admitted the budget has been cut by £263,200 - money Deputy Louise Doublet says the department can't afford to lose if we want to see better results. Ministers had promised extra investment in the financial plan due to be debated in a fortnight, but the Scrutiny Panel say the reality is that Education face a budget cut.

Deputy Doublet, a former teacher who was elected in October, said: “The education of our children is paramount to the Panel and we believe that the Council of Ministers should not be acting outside the Strategic Plan by effectively taking money away from the Education budget.

"I hope that the Panel’s amendment to restore the quarter of a million pounds to the budget will be accepted. Following the CSR savings the Minister previously agreed that there is ‘no fat in the system’, therefore the reduction of money in 2016 can only impact on children’s education and that is not acceptable to me.

Chief Minister Ian Gorst has made Education one of the key priorities for the next three years - giving schools more independence and authority to manage their own budgets and was promising to set aside extra money in the Medium Term Financial Plan for the Education department.

Deputy Doublet said: “During the hearing, the ESC Minister, Deputy Rob Bryans called the savings for 2016, “a beautiful constraint”, suggesting that it inspired the department to look for better and cheaper ways of operating.

"Given the previous admissions from the Minister that the department is very lean, my Panel and I are not convinced. We cannot stand by and see the education of children suffering in order to save money.”