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I attended the work shop (Parents) and thought it was very well structured and brought a lot of issues to the forefront for discussion.
I have since had a chance to discuss with my four teenage children for their views. Because there is no states support I have had to re-mortgage our home and will need to draw down varying sums each year. There will be 2 years with three at university, 1 year with two at university and when that finishes another three years of a single child at university.
The damage to Jersey leaving the whole cost of university education is very far reaching and will cause a decay that is going to be very difficult to repair or recover from.
An expert work force will not be recruited to Jersey as, these experts are often of an age that they will have young or teenage children. Although Jersey has many areas of appeal the prohibitive cost of unsupported university education is too much of a sacrifice to leave the 'security 'of the UK.
Graduates will not return to Jersey as they often resent the short- sighted opinion of Jersey States to give them no support. The property prices in Jersey are very high, and youngsters often need help to get onto the property ladder, but sadly this has been spent in their university years. If a graduate were to return they just have the same financial hardship to look forward when the have children.
I know parents that have left the Island due to the worries of university fees and my children know other peers that have been denied university as their parents are unable or unwilling to put themselves through such financial hardship.
There is total reliance on family as these teenagers have no credit history to be able to have an overdraught let alone a £45K loan.
The guilt some children feel is immense and so refuse to go the route of a university education.
The need to leave the island is of utmost importance to gain some worldly experiences, learning to live an existence with more challenges that the cossetted environment of Jersey. These elements can be more important to becoming a rounded competent personality than the mere possession of the degree. Their horizons, experience and opinions are far wider and their problem solving perspectives far more proficient leading to a greater ability and flexibility to exist in today's world.
Sadly they would be perfect people to see the short sighted financial constraints of the states giving no support to university education off-island.
There was a young lady speaking at the review, although very eloquent her life experiences were two years post school, although passionate were missing the issues of off-island education.
My children also feel that it is their life path and passion that with be costing their parents such great financial sums, and it is them that need access to loans. Not to means tested but to all students wanting to follow this path.
Parents can support their children as much or little as they can or want to help repay these loans in due course. The loan could be fully paid by the states if individual case means testing proved this essential.
The loan should be available to all capable students with places offered with parental guarantees or totally independent of parents, but need to be rapidly responsive.
I'm not against some subject/foundation courses based in Jersey but hey have very long way to go before it becomes a viable option vying against UK or other countries established universities.