01 November 2010
The Minister for Education, Sport and Culture (ESC) has written to Mr Le Blancq of the lobby group ‘Parents for Choice’ to decline his invitation to attend a meeting at the Town Hall on 4 November.
In the letter, Deputy James Reed explains that he is currently in discussions with the governing bodies of fee-paying schools to allow him to fully understand the issues they would face if ESC were to reduce their subsidies. Once these issues are clear, Deputy Reed proposes to meet with parents from each school to consider the options available.
The Minister said “I’m at the beginning of a consultative process and I’m determined to understand the issues each school faces in addressing my department’s proposal before making decisions.
“I would like to meet with representatives from Parents for Choice to discuss their proposal and I’m disappointed that Mr Le Blancq didn’t take up my recent offer to do this. As Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, I carry ultimate responsibility for all our schools and their students; I want to gain an in-depth understanding of the proposal they’re putting forward and my invitation still stands. However, I don’t think it’s appropriate to comment on Parents for Choice proposals in a meeting without fully understanding the details.“
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