Education is already facing questions about its use of spending figures in making the argument to end taxpayer support for the three colleges.
In its announcement yesterday, the committee’s president Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen said that she looked forward to an “open and transparent debate before Easter, which I hope will focus on facts, data and analysis”.
The Ladies College, Elizabeth College and Blanchelande College have issued a joint statement in an attempt to counter the committee’s case, with more detail to come from both sides.
ESC’s announcement included figures which gave an incomplete picture of how taxpayer’s money is being spent.
It said one of the reasons it is recommending phasing out grant aid was because it resulted in an unfair allocation of resources, then included an example of what looked like a stark increase in what money was going to the colleges, in contrast to falling spending in the state sector.
“While education funding for States schools has declined in real terms in recent years, the Colleges’ grant-aid from the States has increased. The general grant, originally £732k in 2019/2020, will have risen to approximately £2.85m by 2025/2026,” it said.
But total taxpayer funding being received by the colleges has fallen since a change in arrangements in 2019 and the grant-aid element was always expected to rise as special place holder numbers and therefore spending fell in that area away – this part of the equation was not mentioned by ESC.
In 2019, the total combined grant to Elizabeth College, The Ladies’ College and Blanchelande College was £4.218m.
This has fallen to £3.048m. for 2025, down £308,000 on the year before.
“States could educate fee-paying students for less than grant”
Education believes the grant-aid is not the best use of taxpayers money.
“The claim by some that the Colleges save the States money by reducing the number of students in State schools is not correct – the States could educate a significant number of fee-paying students for much less than the cost of the grant-aid per student.”
In 2019, the States backed proposals that a general grant of £816 per pupil will be paid for each fee paying pupil, increasing in line with inflation, as well as continuing to pay for special place holders as they continued to be educated at the colleges – the last of those pupils finished this summer.
Nearly a third of the island’s pupils are educated at the three colleges.
Colleges “widening attainment gap”
ESC has also said that grant aid to the Colleges is widening inequality in the island’s secondary education system.
“All committees have been asked to make savings, and we must look at all areas,” said Deputy Dudley-Owen.
“There has been a phenomenal amount of hard work between the States and the three Colleges behind the scenes which has led to this moment; while it is shame not to have reached an agreement on all matters between the parties, it is right to bring the decision to the States.
“We have committed to providing clarity on the decision before the schools break for Easter, and I am grateful to the Colleges for working with us to reach this point.
“I look forward to an open and transparent debate before Easter, which I hope will focus on facts, data and analysis – rather than using this emotive issue as a political pawn; our school children are too important for that. The Committee has been persuaded by evidence and research that it is not in the taxpayers’ interests to continue subsidising the private education sector on the island in the long term, which we can see is widening the attainment gap between our islands’ young people.”
Last year’s GCSE results saw “pass rates” [grades 9 to 4] of 97% at Ladies College, 93.6% at Elizabeth College and 87% at Blanchelande.
The level in the States sector was 69.8%.
Committee member, Deputy Andy Cameron said: “Upon reviewing the data and the evidence, it is undeniable that continuing to use taxpayer money to subsidise private education is wrong. It is not an efficient use of money. And it increases inequity in our island.
“This Policy Letter is about widening the discussion about ensuring that all children on the island receive a fair start in life.
“While the Colleges are all exploring building new facilities, the Committee would propose using this money to support children currently in the States system who don’t have access to anywhere near the Colleges’ level of support and facilities.
“I cannot stress enough the stark difference reallocating some of this money will make, and at the same time we can deliver a saving for the public purse.”
Another member, Deputy Sue Aldwell said that it was a fact that when the States made the decision to remove the 11+ meaning there were no more States-funded College students, the Colleges then replaced them with fee-paying students.
“The Colleges feared loss of income has not materialised. Meanwhile, the overall grant-aid from the States to the Colleges has risen way beyond inflation. We think it’s important that the community understands these things, and that the States of Deliberation decides the right way forwards.
“In 2019 the States’ grant-aid to the Colleges was £732k. By this September it will be around £2.85million. That is money that is being diverted away from States schools and into private institutions.
“Our schools cater for every child and young person, no matter their needs or abilities, diverting some of the grant-aid will enable us to put in place additional resources to enable every child to thrive and succeed.”
Education has not said where it would spend an extra £2.85m.
