Colleges maintain position ahead of funding debate

Guernsey's three independent colleges say they remain resolute ahead of a States debate this week discussing the ending of government funding.

Proposals from the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture seek to reallocate the grants currently given to the private colleges to States-maintained schools.

The grants totalled £723,000 in the 2019/20 academic year and, if continued, had been expected to total about £2.85m for the 2025/26 academic year.

A joint statement from the colleges said they had been working with the committee's working group for two years and had been "transparent with financial accounts, cash flow projections and the impact of reduced or removed funding".

If deputies vote in favour of proposals as they stand, funding for the institutions - Blanchelande College, Elizabeth College and the Ladies' College - would be phased out over a five-year period.

However, five amendments have been submitted for the assembly to consider during debate, which is scheduled to start on Wednesday.

In the first amendment, Deputy Gavin St Pier described the colleges as integral to the education "ecosystem" and would like to see funding continue on a rolling basis.

But, in a second amendment, Deputy Peter Roffey has suggested a 4% cut annually between 2026 and 2033, with half the money saved being reinvested into state schools, and the rest going towards reducing the cost of public service.

In another amendment, Deputy John Dyke proposed 30 means-tested "part-funded places" by September 2027.

A statement from the colleges said they were pleased the committee's president, Deputy Dudley-Owen, had confirmed she and the committee were open to compromise.

They had said previously they had felt the discussions so far continued to leave the colleges without funding.

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