25 June 2012
The Education, Sport and Culture (ESC) Minister, with the support of the Council of Ministers, has published a revised set of savings under the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR).
A new savings target has been agreed which takes into account the States decision in 2011 to maintain the grants of fee paying schools, pending publication of an Education White Paper.
Following detailed discussions with the Treasury, the new savings package also allows for the effects of a rising number of births and high unemployment on the services provided by the Education Department.
Student numbers are rising because of 2 significant factors: high levels of unemployment mean more students are staying on in education after 16; also, a sustained increase in the number of births has led to an increase in the number of children starting primary school and this trend is predicted to continue.
The main points of the new package are:
- the total savings target has been reduced from £11.1 million to £7.5 million
- the timescale has been extended to 2016
- reduction in grants to fee-paying secondary schools is no longer included
- grants to sports clubs and associations will be maintained at the current level until 2016
- ESC has already delivered more than £3 million of the savings
The Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, said “The Council of Ministers has discussed the difficult issue of making savings without compromising the education of our young people. We support the Minister in this revised savings package, recognising the essential role of the education service, especially during the current economic downturn, with the new pressures that have emerged since the CSR process started in 2010.
"Ministers are keen to make progress with a wide ranging review of ESC, following 'The Future of Education in Jersey' consultation conducted last year."
The Treasury Minister, Senator Philip Ozouf, added “Treasury has worked hard with Education to identify an appropriate package of savings which can be delivered within the next 3 years. We will continue to work on delivering the full savings package, while remaining alert to the continuing economic pressures being placed on families’ budgets at this time.
“Education will make a 7% reduction in its spending and this will be delivered over a longer period to 2016. Ministers will give ESC all the necessary support to deliver the additional savings that have been identified and agreed.”
ESC Minister Deputy Patrick Ryan said “These proposals are the result of long and careful consideration and painstaking review of all the previous proposals.
"When I became ESC Minister I pledged not to do anything that would affect the quality of our children’s education. However, I also recognised that the public want best possible value for money from States services. I believe these CSR savings achieve the right balance.”
ESC savings / user pays
|
ESC SAVING
|
Previous savings
|
Additional savings to be achieved by 2016
|
|
Managing demographic changes in schools
|
|
1,086,000
|
|
Continuation of property occupancy charge for fee-paying provided schools (JCG and Victoria College)
|
160,000
|
320,000
|
|
Cease grant to independent preparatory schools
(St Michaels and St Georges)
|
270,000
|
312,000
|
|
Consistent application of funding formula to all fee-paying primary schools
|
|
178,000
|
|
Lower than anticipated university tuition fees
|
|
1,500,000
|
|
Assessment of household income for higher education
|
200,000
|
400,000
|
|
Introduce a new model of education for Key Stage 4 students requiring an out of school placement
|
|
250,000
|
|
Remove funding for trainee librarian
|
|
32,000
|
|
Youth Service restructuring
|
50,000
|
40,000
|
|
Restructure sports management team
|
105,000
|
55,000
|
|
Increased sports income
|
106,000
|
144,000
|
|
5% savings across arts and culture grants
|
|
59,000
|
|
Introduce charges for instrumental music
|
110,000
|
90,000
|
|
Remove the inequity in nursery education by bringing public provision in line with private provision
|
414,000
|
|
|
Reduction in maintenance budgets
|
242,000
|
|
|
Cease PE initiative
|
120,000
|
|
|
Review management structure of Highlands College
|
210,000
|
|
|
Restructuring Special Education Needs Service
|
165,000
|
|
|
Restructure customer services team
|
23,000
|
|
|
New model of holiday activity clubs
|
80,000
|
|
|
Reduce grants to clubs and associations
|
160,000
|
|
|
Devolved model of pitch management
|
80,000
|
|
|
Re-defining core business for schools and colleges
|
298,000
|
|
|
Cease annual grant to Durrell
|
33,000
|
|
|
Reduce sickness reserve
|
75,000
|
|
|
Review technical sports management structure
|
37,000
|
|
|
Procurement savings
|
150,000
|
|
|
Sub-Total
|
£3,088,000
|
£4,466,000
|
|
TOTAL
|
£7,554,000
|
gov.je