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Fees will no longer be going up at the start of the academic year at two of the island's private schools.
Both Jersey College for Girls (JCG) and Victoria College announced last year that fees would rise by 5% across their primary and secondary schools.
With many families under financial strain due to the virus crisis, the Boards of Governors of both schools suggested that the increases no longer go ahead.
That recommendation has now been accepted by the Education Minister, meaning that fees will be frozen until at least the end of the year, "providing budget certainty and reduced costs for parents."
Senator Tracey Vallois said that the position for 2021 "will be reviewed in due course, as the longer-term implication of the pandemic on schools becomes clearer".
Pictured: Education Minister Senator Tracey Vallois.
It comes as some parents raised questions as to why they should continue paying fees while schools remain closed.
Addressing these concerns, the Minister emphasised the "difficult position" of local fee-paying schools, stating: “Continuing to pay these fees is crucial to the sustainability of our schools and underpins the alternative on-line learning and teaching arrangements that the schools and colleges have put in place.
“I recognise that there is a desire for normal service to resume as soon as possible and, for that reason alone, we share a strong commitment to the ongoing viability of our schools."
Senator Vallois added that financial support is available for parents in extreme hardship as a result of the global health emergency, and that the government is considering topping these up if they are not enough.
Pictured: The government is considering topping up schools' hardship funds.
“I understand and recognise that for some parents, the impact covid-19 will be having on personal finances and that paying fees may be increasingly difficult or out of reach. Parents whose income is impacted should, in the first instance, contact their school in the normal way for a confidential discussion. Our fee-paying schools have existing hardship schemes and can discuss with parents how and when these can be accessed," she explained.
“To support these schools and parents, we are developing options that, if implemented, could supplement the hardship funds already managed by schools should they become insufficient to cater for demand.
"I will provide a further update on this work in a future announcement.”
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