Institute of Directors comes out against plans to remove college funding
Removing States’ grant funding from Elizabeth, Blanchelande and The Ladies’ College risks ‘destabilising’ that section of the island’s educational offering and, by extension, the island’s economic growth potential, a business group has argued.
The Institute of Directors is the latest to come out against the plans to phase out the taxpayer support to the three colleges.
‘Removing funding risks destabilising a section of the Guernsey educational offering, which is currently stable, highly successful and offers great value to Guernsey.
‘The funding of £2.7m. is a very small fraction of the wider education budget,’ it said.
The IoD said that many countries, and Jersey, subsidised independent education.
‘Guernsey would be putting itself at a distinct disadvantage at exactly the moment when ensuring educational stability and outcomes is vital for long term economic growth and success.
‘The independent colleges represent outstanding value for money, delivering high-quality educational outcomes at a low cost to the States.
‘Sustaining this funding is not just an investment in education – it is an investment in the future prosperity of Guernsey.
‘It is critical for our deputies to consider the economic contribution and benefits of independent education.
‘We must acknowledge the risks to economic growth, confidence, competitiveness and therefore our future success from removing some or all of the funding.’
As a business organisation, it highlighted education’s role in developing a homegrown workforce, and in attracting people contemplating a move to the island, saying it was as important as housing, connectivity and healthcare.
‘Parents thinking of taking up roles in Guernsey want educational choice at an affordable price and will take the presence or absence of that choice into consideration when they are weighing up the locations to which they are willing to move their families. This means that the colleges act as an economic enabler,’ it said.
‘International research and macroeconomics literature has shown that investing in education improves the economic growth prospects of a country.
‘The independent colleges contribute to Guernsey’s community and the economy more widely in several ways.’
The proposal to remove the funding will be debated by the States next week.
