New funding model ‘will put colleges at a disadvantage’
EDUCATING a student through one of the four States-operated secondary schools costs £10,098 a year on average – more than 10 times what the States contribution per pupil will be to the college’s under latest proposals.
The Committee for Education, Sport & Culture confirmed the figure after Castel Deputy Richard Graham submitted questions asking for the mean, annual, per-pupil cost to the States of educating a student through the three high schools, the Grammar School and the Sixth Form Centre.
The response used 2016 figures, and showed 496 pupils at Les Beaucamps were educated at £9,653 each, 390 at La Mare at £10,539 each, 672 at St Sampson’s at £9,973, and 843 at the Grammar at £10,256 each.
These include the central costs, which themselves include the provision of services such as the Guernsey Music Service, the SHARE team, and Careers Guernsey, among many others.
Deputy Graham said he asked these questions with the coming debate on the grant-aided colleges’ funding in mind.
‘It will be very useful in the States debate to be able to compare the proposed future per capita funding of college students with the per capita costs in the States sector as revealed in the answer to my question,’ Deputy Graham said.
‘The accounts for last year’s ESC show that more was spent on the central services staff at Grange Road than on funding the colleges, who educate 30% of Guernsey’s 11-16 students and 36% of students studying for A level and IB.’
The debate will see proposals to cut the colleges’ funding by £3.5m. per year, about 80%, from £4.4m., discussed.
Special place holders at the colleges, of which there are currently 352 across Elizabeth College, The Ladies’ College and Blanchelande, are also set to be phased out as the pupils complete their studies.
So, if passed, the States will only pay an £816 contribution per pupil at the colleges, less than 10% of the £10,098 cost of States educated students.
‘The States could not possibly educate these students if the colleges did not do so for them; the States has neither the teachers nor the schools to fill such a void,’ Deputy Graham added.
‘The States get a great deal from the colleges financially and in terms of educational outcomes. The colleges are all-ability and yet equal the educational outcome of the selective Grammar School and other selective schools in the UK. The parents of college students pay their taxes and are entitled to a greater return than they get at the moment and will be even more disadvantaged if the modest States funding of the colleges is reduced four-fold in the near future.’
The figures released by Education also revealed that the annual revenue cost of all three secondary schools was £11,335,629, with St Sampson’s costing by far the most of the three, at £14,877,106.
The Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre combined had an annual revenue cost of £6,256,663.
n The debate on the funding of the colleges is currently expected to go to the States on 27 September.
