Classroom coffers given multi-million pound boost

Thursday 30 June 2016

It was the mantra that defined Tony Blair’s political stance: “Education, education, education.”

That was the answer to the question, where should a modern society focus its resources on? Blair’s speech, in 1997, set out his priorities in office as Labour campaigned to put classrooms at the top of the political agenda.

During his terms in power Blair’s success in education, or otherwise, depends on your political point of view, but it is a vision which the States of Jersey have identified as one of their own. 

In a nutshell, education and health have been the two significant winners in the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) - and the numbers are substantial. There will be almost £11m of annual growth in education until 2019, including extra money - £2m - designed to increase pupil numbers in higher education.

It is all designed to improve standards across the board, so that the Island can benefit in the years to come, or as the MTFP report concluded: “Jersey needs to remain globally competitive with a highly skilled workforce. We are preparing for demographic changes by extending some of our schools, and ensuring our young people can reach their potential.

“A large proportion of the increase in education spending is on the Jersey Pupil Premium, with a further increase in secondary education. The increase in education spending will benefit those in lower income groups. We are also increasing funds to help more people on lower incomes access higher education.”

As well as giving a boost to those less well off, some of the big secondary schools in Jersey will also be given a much-needed facelift. 

A total of £56 million will be spent on improving Les Quennevais, Grainville and St Mary’s Schools. The report stated: “Construction of a new Les Quennevais School is needed to replace the existing school which is reaching the end of its useful life. Following completion of the feasibility study a planning application has been submitted for the preferred site. Negotiations are underway with landowners to acquire the various land packages. Subject to conclusion of the acquisitions and the necessary planning approvals, the project will commence on site in 2017.”

Six primary schools have been or will be extended or improved - d’Auvergne, Plat Douet, Springfield, Trinity, Bel Royal and Mont Nicolle. 

All this is entirely laudable, but there should be a word of caution. While Blair’s Labour administration unquestionably spent more on education - a 55% increase per pupil from 1997 to 2007 and a hefty reduction in class sizes - did it work? Is throwing money at education a solution? Test and exam results under Blair did improve, but his political enemies claimed testing was made easier. 

What we do know is that educational achievement is a slow supertanker to turn around, so the initiatives taken in the current MTFP for Jersey won’t really be fully illuminating until many years from now.