The painful debate on private education in Guernsey has been concluded, for now.
What really irks me is the misinterpretation of private education locally, with some of the States deputies and mainly those on the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, having limited understanding of the college grants system and how it benefits States education as a whole. These committee members never intended to support the grant to the colleges, as it would, in some of their own words, go on ‘rich spoilt children’.
Why? Because some deputies view those in private education of being the spoilt children of the wealthy – wrong!
For what it’s worth, 30% of children in secondary education in Guernsey attend the colleges – why? Let’s not beat around the bush, it is because the standard of education is much, much higher at these colleges than the state secondary schools system, a system which has been critically affected by mismanagement by this very committee, and their lacklustre predecessors over the last 10-20 years.
The children at the colleges are mainly from working-class people who have made the decision to forgo many things in favour of their children’s education. These are normal working-class people, some I know work two jobs to put their children through the college system.
These 11 deputies who voted against continuing the grant to the colleges have had their 15 minutes of fame. Maybe do us and our children a favour and find alternative employment come the next election?
Ben Remfrey
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