In some instances, staff at secondary and higher education schools in Jersey have been told to stop photocopying in an effort to keep costs down, while some teachers have resorted to buying pens and pencils out of their own pockets, a union leader has said.
Figures show that the seven States-run secondary schools plus Highlands College posted a collective deficit last year of almost £1.7 million. And the overspend is getting worse – in 2016 the overall combined deficit was £462,431, which rose to £590,233 in 2017.
Les Quennevais School recorded the highest deficit in 2018 of £584,958, up £441,206 on the previous year.
A government spokeswoman acknowledged that the way budgets were allocated was ‘ten years’ out of date. She added in a statement: ‘All these issues will be investigated as part of the independent review of school funding, which is urgently required to ensure the department can deliver on the common strategic priority and pledge to put children first.
‘The review is due to be completed by the end of 2019, and it is anticipated that a new school funding formula will be consulted upon, agreed and published before September 2020.’
Marina Mauger, the Jersey representative for teaching union the NASUWT, revealed how some teachers have been stopped from photocopying in certain schools in an effort to keep costs down.
She also said the deficits were having to run to what they are, otherwise students would be made to go without simple things like pens and paper.
She said: ‘Resources in schools is a huge problem and what is at the crux of it is that education is so underfunded. We spend less of our GDP on education than countries like Burundi.’
As of 2015, Jersey spent 2.5% of its GDP on education. Burundi spent 6.45% of its GDP on education and the UK spent 5.54% in 2016.
In 2018, the total amount spent on the budget for the eight schools, which includes Highlands and the two fee-paying state schools, Victoria College and Jersey College for Girls, was £39,273,745.
That has risen from £38,033,364 in 2017 and £37,662,736 in 2016.
Mrs Mauger added: ‘I have heard of teachers not being allowed to photocopy and some buying things like pens themselves.
‘It is not the Education Department’s fault, because they are also underfunded.
‘It is frustrating how they can spend millions on a hospital without a brick being laid, but the school budgets are having to run into deficits because of underfunding.
‘Tracey Vallois [Education Minister] has done a good job of fighting our corner for an increase in funding. They say there is no money but it is being directed to the wrong places.
‘If there were no deficits children would have to go without books and other resources.’
Colin Lever, a former school teacher, agreed that underfunding was an issue, but said that a large chunk of school budgets were spent on salaries and that could be looked at.
He added: ‘There are some, for example, with eight or nine senior teachers on a half timetable, so it has to be asked whether that is value for money.
‘A large amount of money is spent on salaries, with a small amount left for resources, so the question has to be asked if efficiencies could be made there.
‘There is underfunding and those issues were there when I retired in 2014.’
JCG and Hautlieu were the only schools not to overspend out of the eight, which included Highlands, listed on the freedom of information figures.
