Independent colleges could lose taxpayer cash
BBCStates funding of Guernsey's independent colleges could be phased out next year.
Blanchelande College, Elizabeth College and The Ladies' College were expected to receive £2.85m in States funding in 2025/2026.
The Committee for Education, Sport and Culture said it was in favour of phasing out financial support for the colleges for four reasons: it said it was not the best use of taxpayer money, it was an "unfair allocation" of funding, it widened inequality and it was not necessary for the colleges to continue running.
The issue will be debated by the States of Deliberation before Easter. The colleges have all been approached for comment.
The grant given to the colleges was £723k in 2019/20, which had increased to an expected cost of £2.85m by 2025/26.
Representatives from the colleges have been meeting with the committee since 2023, but had not been able to come to "a shared way forward without the issue being brought to the States", the committee said.
It added "the States could educate a significant number of fee-paying students for much less than the cost of the grant-aid per student", so funding the colleges was not saving the States money by reducing the number of students in States schools.
It said removing the grant gradually would not automatically mean attendance fees would rise.
Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, president of education, sport and culture, said she hoped the States debate would "focus on facts, data and analysis – rather than using this emotive issue as a political pawn".
"Our school children are too important for that."
She said education funding for States schools had declined in recent years while grant-aid to the colleges has risen beyond inflation.
Committee member Deputy Andy Cameron said "upon reviewing the data and the evidence, it is undeniable that continuing to use taxpayer money to subsidise private education is wrong.
"It is not an efficient use of money. And it increases inequity in our island."
The current seven-year agreement to fund the independent colleges expires next year, and the committee said it wanted to provide clarity to the colleges before Easter 2025.
If agreed by the States, the grant would be phased out over a number of years.
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