Falklands : Falklands White Paper on Education Released
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 19.05.2009 (Article Archived on 02.06.2009)
A white paper on education has been released by the Education Department on Monday. The paper outlines several areas that were dealt with in the Green paper on Education that was sent out for comment earlier this year.
WHITE PAPER ON EDUCATION RELEASED
By J. Brock (FINN)
A white paper on education has been released by the Education Department on Monday. The paper outlines several areas that were dealt with in the Green paper on Education that was sent out for comment earlier this year.
According to the white paper, Further and Higher Education in the Islands is one of increasing efforts to provide equal opportunities across all sectors of the Falkland Island s community. For the vast majority of Falkland Islanders in the past this was not an option and many left the Islands for the sake of their children’s education and future prospects.
Initially GCSE requirements for those wishing to attend Further Education courses were set at 5 C grades to encourage the widest participation and in the belief that educating one generation would have a cascade effect in expectations of and by the next. The general standard has been vindicated and over the last two decades the criteria have been set higher as focus moved from social considerations to achievement, and value for money.
The cost of provision in the UK, however, has steadily climbed, as a consequence of increased participation and as a result of rising course fees for students from overseas, including the Falkland Islands. The high cost of education in the UK meant it was out of reach for many Falkland Islands families without Government support.
After much lobbying major savings were made a few years ago when Falkland Islands’ students were recognised by the UK as home students, meaning that no tuition fees for Further Education were applied and fixed rates of £3145, per annum, for Higher Education were instituted.
Again costs are a matter of debate and policy options have to be considered. According to the paper, the Medium Term Financial Plan necessarily questions the high cost of provision and imposes a review which seeks possible alternatives that take into account developments over the past decade. Parents have been asked about providing more money towards their children’s education.
The white paper says that after 1982 the fishing industry made it possible for significant investment in education. An important element of this investment was the philosophy that all youngsters in the Islands should have equal access to education. The late John Cheek and Mrs Rendell, the then Director of Education, stated that Falkland Islanders should not be consigned to the roles of hewers of wood or carriers of water. It was also considered important that young people had the opportunity to experience life outside the Islands.
Prior to the 1982 conflict opportunities were largely through the British Council as part of the ‘grant in aid’ system. Access was largely limited to one or two scholarships a year. In addition farm managers and other significant members of the community had education for their children written in to their employment agreements. There were others who could afford to send their children to boarding school and would see little of them through their childhood and adolescence.
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