Primary schools pay £100k back to government

Funding of £100,000 has been paid back by the island's primary schools in a bid to reduce a Department of Education, Sport and Culture overspend, the minister has confirmed.

Daphne Caine said 28 of the island's 32 primary schools had jointly made the payment, which represented less than 0.3% of their budgets.

She said the move was part of a number of savings made to help her department reduce its £1m forecasted overspend to come back within budget.

But a number of MHKs raised concerns that the payments could hit frontline services within the department.

In October it was revealed that the department would be £1m over budget due to a pay rise awarded to teachers and lower income levels than expected.

Caine told the House of Keys on Tuesday that the move was applied to schools "where savings could be made", or where there was "unspent funding available".

She said that the payments had not been made by the island's secondary schools, and primary schools that could not afford it were not expected to contribute.

Lawrie Hooper MHK raised concerns about what it could mean for students, and questioned whether it would be something they would notice, while Jason Moorhouse MHK asked where in the department the remaining £900,000 worth of savings would be made.

Caine said it was a reallocation of funds, and made up a small amount of the £38m budget for primary schools.

She said the department was now forecasted to remain within budget and savings had been made elsewhere, although no details were revealed about the additional savings.

Schools had received additional funding throughout the year to "assist in supporting various areas", she said.

"We are determined as a department that where there is a need funding is made available to the schools", she added.

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