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8.
Having taken a keen interest in the recent discussions surrounding Higher Education funding, I was rather disappointed in the resultant paper, which offered no certainty for parents and their children moving forward.
I don't always agree with decisions that have been or are being made by my government however, I have never been put in such a difficult predicament until now, to feel the need to write to specific Ministers directly.
My daughter is 16 and currently in the middle of completing GCSEs at Hautlieu; she has been educated in non- fee paying state schools and is passionate about her future career path; she wants to be a teacher, teaching in secondary schools in Jersey; to achieve this she needs a degree in English which must be obtained by attending university. Our joint family income is approx £58k pa and that is with my husband working two jobs; we need this level of income to be able to pay our mortgage and general household expenses; we do not have an awful lot remaining at the end of each month; certainly nowhere like the figure that would be required to fund the cost of University tuition and living fees.
The Strategic Plan has placed Education as one of your top priorities for the period 2015- 2018. You have stated the following -
"The fact that some of our children are not fulfilling their true potential is a waste of Jersey's most precious resource – our people – and an economic inefficiency we can ill afford.
We rely on the skills and abilities of our people to be globally competitive. If we don't provide a high quality workforce, others will. That will require a high level of education. "
Taking the above into consideration, it really does bewilder me as to how Ministers could believe it is a good result that £2m has been saved from Education due to "favourable circumstances". The current grant funding for higher education has been suppressed and ignored for 15 years and yet during this time the cost of living and expenses have increased considerably.
The education and future of a child should never be dependent upon whether their parents can afford to send them to University. Although the change in the funding model in the UK is not down to this government, I vote in my home Island to ensure that our elected representatives are capable enough to carry out the will of the people, not turn a blind eye.
An ethic that I and many I know hold, is that if you work hard you can reap the rewards. At present it seems that if you work hard to ensure you are not captured by the State, it places further burden on you. We are running to stand still.
I ask that you recognise it is important not only for us as a family but also for my child (and many others) to be able to choose her future without the added pressure and worry regarding finances. In this respect I believe as a taxpayer, I would be prepared to carry the risk of a student loan system in Jersey. But we, the public have not been asked if we are willing to do so.
How can it be correct that in order for a child to prosper and become a professional skilled worker in today's society, their parents have to fall into relative poverty (we would have to remortgage our home to fund this)?
I am of the understanding that an addition to the medium term financial plan is due to be published at the end of this month. If ministers do not or cannot at this time introduce an appropriate loan system, I would respectably ask that you consider the current grant threshold be increased to the figure that was suggested by Education in the public hearing of the Nursery Education Fund of at least median income £52,900.
If Ministers wish to improve the current standards in schools in Jersey (increased funding provided in 2016), will they not just be selling a sense of false hope? How will these students be able to take the next steps if their parents are in a similar predicament to ours? We have spent years encouraging and supporting our children to achieve the very best they can and potentially now cannot allow our child to take the next step into Higher Education.
Please do not consider this a letter begging, but one of a mother in absolute despair as to how the future of her children could be funded after instilling in them a sense of purpose to education.
I have always voted and hope that just this one time it counts!
Please be good enough to respond to this communication to at least acknowledge receipt and to confirm that my comments will be considered.
Thank you