A £42 million government project to ensure that Jersey had a “world-class education system” did not define what “world-class” would look like, according to a report by the government spending watchdog.
The Comptroller and Auditor General Lynn Pamment today issued her report on the Education Reform Programme, which was launched in 2021 following an Independent School Funding Review which identified a “significant gap between current provision and the aspiration for a world class education system”.
The Education Reform Programme received £41.9m of funding, approved in the Government Plan 2021to 2024.
Ms Pamment said: “While the overall aim of the Education Reform Programme was to ensure that Jersey had a world-class education system, the government did not define what the metrics for a ‘world-class’ system would look like or specify expected standards.”
The audit – which aimed to assess whether the government’s approach to education reform was evidence-based, outcome-focused, and provides value for money – recommended that the government should “develop and publish an education strategy that sets out the ambition for delivering a ‘world-class’ education system with clarity about targets for performance at all stages”.
Ms Pamment’s report also revealed that “some of the structural changes that would deliver a more efficient and sustainable education system have not been progressed through the Education Reform Programme”.
“Much of the current structure remains historical,” she said.
The audit also found that there will be an “excess” of education provision due to falling birth rates.
“This is already presenting as a key issue for primary schools, and, coupled with selection of learners at the age of 14, creates duplicity and additional costs in the system,” said Ms Pamment.
“Going forward, the funding of the fee-paying sector and the relationship of the fee-paying sector with the wider system will need careful consideration.
“In addition, greater clarity will be required as to the role that Highlands College plays in the overall strategy.”
The C&AG called for a review of whether the structure and selection of the Island’s education offering is affordable for the future “in the light of the falling birth rate and financial pressures”.
The report also found that there was a “high standard of financial governance” for the extra programme funding but the expected results and how spending and benefits were tracked afterwards was “less clear”.
Ms Pamment said: “The next phase of the Education Reform Programme, which is currently being developed, should include a focus on curriculum, inclusion, workforce development, early years investment and refinement of funding models.
“As part of the next phase of the Education Reform Programme it will be important to sustain good quality data in order to allocate and track resources in the most appropriate way and to define a clear strategy for achieving world-class education in Jersey.”
