Ahead of this week’s debate on funding, Blanchelande College, Elizabeth College and The Ladies’ College (the ‘Colleges’) uphold our position that maintaining the States of Guernsey grant will save taxpayers’ money.
The Colleges have been in discussions with the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture’s (‘ESC’) working group for over two years. We have been transparent with financial accounts, cash flow projections and the impact of reduced or removed funding.
Throughout the last two years, it appears that ESC’s position has always been to arrive at a point where there is zero funding for the Colleges. So, whilst we are surprised, we are of course supportive of Deputy Dudley-Owen’s latest assertion, two days before the debate, that ESC is now open to compromise.
We are however concerned to see ESC’s continued use of inaccurate information.
For example, Deputy Dudley Owen has said that the grant will increase in full knowledge that the Colleges’ Proposition 2 just maintains the grant in real terms; it does not increase it. The President will also be aware that we issued a public statement on 12th March, and communicated to Deputies on 14th March 2025, to show our support for the St Pier/Ferbrache Amendment which reduces the States’ grant if the Colleges’ student numbers drop. We have shown our willingness to compromise.
We are grateful to Deputy St Pier and Deputy Ferbrache for proposing this amendment with the reasonable consequence that if student numbers across the Colleges drop, then so will the level of States’ support. The stability provided by a rolling funding agreement is critical, both because it will allow parents to consider educational choices with a clear view of what lies ahead financially, and inform the Colleges’ own long-term planning.
The language of the President, as reported in the Guernsey Press on Monday 17 March, however, remains concerning. It suggests that ESC is now looking for an increase in control over the Colleges by presenting a vision that the Colleges and the state secondary schools could be ‘sharing classes’. This has not been discussed with the Colleges.
The Colleges have, however, talked at length about the importance of authentic collaboration on a school-to-school basis, as was put forward in a paper to ESC in June last year.
In Proposition 4, ESC seems to want to create a scenario where the Colleges must work with senior Education officers and politicians to discuss partnership opportunities. It would appear that ESC is concerned by organic, ground-level partnerships without central or government control. Effective school partnership does not work through local or central government. It works on a school-to-school basis where the leadership, governors and staff across different schools find ways to learn from each other and develop opportunities for collaboration. We believe that the basis for a true partnership is now set out in the amendment from Deputies Soulsby and Le Tocq.
Unlike the proposition in the policy letter, this amendment allows for the Colleges and the state secondary schools to be given the space to identify ways in which practice, knowledge and skills can be shared, for the benefit of the Bailiwick’s children. Partnership and collaboration should not be seen as an attempt to introduce management and control by government over the independent Colleges.
ESC originally agreed to work towards a decision of the States on new funding arrangements by the end of 2024. As ESC is aware, the delays mean the Colleges are now just weeks away from setting their fees for the forthcoming year; therefore, we urge Deputies to conclude the debate this week.
Throughout the two and half years of negotiations the Colleges have acted in good faith. We have brought detailed ideas on how partnership could work, informed by our collective experience of powerful and effective partnerships. We are still awaiting a response.
We have made arguments about the wider economic impact of destabilising the Colleges. We are still awaiting a response.
We have demonstrated repeatedly, including sharing our finances, the impact of a withdrawal of funding. We are still awaiting a response.
The Colleges are heartened by, and grateful for, the support of parents, friends, the business community and many Deputies.
The facts are simple. If funding is maintained, educating secondary-age pupils in the independent sector costs the States c. £2,000 versus somewhere between £11,000 and 15,000 in the state sector.
We believe funding the independent sector is grounded in sound financial stewardship and a recognition of its value to the Bailiwick.
As the debate commences this week, we urge Deputies to take a long-term perspective. The decisions made now will have lasting effects on our broader community. We call for future-focused leadership in determining what is best for generations to come.
Signed by
Blanchelande College
Elizabeth College
The Ladies’ College
