Grant scheme for private schools

Ray Borg

Oct 3rd 2012, 13:45

Who is receiving these grants?
Let’s see: - private schools
What does a private school provide?
A service providing education to persons who opt to pay for it, but it is their choice to do so.
What`s in it for the private schools?
Hopefully at the end of a year, a profit for the owners of the same school, whoever that may be.
So what is a private school?
A private business.
So why is the state helping financially a private business?
If I have children of school age, is it a matter of going to a particular school and /or schools and register my child? If that is the case, then I may see a reason for such grants, but if its not that way, then I cannot see why the state, (from taxes) gives a grant.
If like Minister Dolores said, private schools find it hard to compete with state schools, why are parents sending their children to a private school? There most be a reason.
Look at some of the state schools class rooms; it leaves a lot to be desired.
So tell us Minister, why you are spending money on schools that parents can afford to pay for it, just for the sake of their children being able to say that they have attended a gloried school? I acknowledge that a lot of schools have been refurbished and some new ones are really state of the art, but before you get all your schools in working order, do not waste public money. Do you want us to name schools that due to more classes needed, 2 loads of students are in 1 class? Do you want us to give you pictures of school yards that have cracks in the cement floor?
This is not like the private hospital schemes, you send patients to be operated in the private hospitals because the NHS cannot cope, and I find no qualms with that! But to subsidise private schools, because the parents for whatever reason do not want to send their kids to state schools, I am sorry I cannot agree. Minister, how long have the Private Schools Parent Association been asking for state grants? Why now, election time maybe?
This is what is really worrying Maltese people… what if in a couple of years we end up like our neighbouring countries, going bankrupt due to corrupt practises?
Floating voters like me will not fall for this, and it may cost you the election. I see both parties as very close to ideals, so what’s left for me is to choose from reliable persons that I can trust. I trusted PN last election, and the one before, and even before that one. As things are today, and not just because of this article, I need a lot of convincing to vote for PN. Diehard’s voters are becoming a story for the past, for the text books only and you very well know it.
But then again, maybe you will win more votes from the private schools parents. I am sure mathematically, all has been worked out and in your books; the final number is in blue.

J. Sciberras

Oct 3rd 2012, 11:23

The idiot's questions to this policy stance must be: how does the combined tax grant+subsidy to private school pupils compare with the per capita spend on pupils in government schooling? Is there spending parity? Could the times perhaps make some investigation in this direction?

One would expect to see government active in at least ensuring parity of spend....and equal educational outcomes.

Mr leo attard

Oct 2nd 2012, 19:54

fenech and cristina subsidize private schools and assist the parents --- and what about those in govt scjhools? why shouldn't parents of those in govt schools get subsidies to pay for the arociously expensive uniforms! and if the govt pays the salary of teachers in private schools, then why should private school teachers not be subject to the same conditions as those in govt schools. teachers in seminary schools get more holidays, shorter school day, etc.......

G A Bonello

Oct 2nd 2012, 16:48

It already costs the Govt more per student than the Independent schools charge. Should more parents decide to send their children to state schools rather than private ones, then the price will go up even more.

"According to ISA report, in 2010 it cost less to educate a student at a private school (€1,655 a year, compared to €2,217 for State school students), but if private schools close down, the cost to absorb these students into the Church and State schools would be as high as €3,000 per head."

How will the Govt find this money? More taxes!!! So the gGvt is actually "saving" by giving tax rebates.

And before the Pl apologists start, please check how many PL members of Parliament send their children to private schools... starting off with the Leader.

R Axisa

Oct 2nd 2012, 16:14

If such private schools are being subsidised by the government, will the parents still be having tax rebates??

tami mifsud

Oct 2nd 2012, 15:54

parents who send their children to private schools are also tax payers Mr Zammit just as much as you are

Ms.D. Galea

Oct 2nd 2012, 13:48

Why should taxes help finance INDEPENDENT PRIVATE SCHOOLS? It is not as if they are giving something of equal value to the tax payer as the church did in the church schools/ government agreetemnt where government help to pay the teachers' salaries was exchanged for valuable immovable property owned by the church.

Victor Laiviera

Oct 2nd 2012, 13:28

Buying votes has become VERY expensive.

Paul Bajada

Oct 2nd 2012, 13:26

So private schools are given money from our taxes, whether we opt or afford to send our children to these schools. This is NOT on! Isn't is enough that parents who opt to send their children to private schools are benefiting from tax incentives?

This is NOT fair! Whilst our children in state schools have to collect the money themselves for repairing or upgrading school grounds, our government passes the "saved" money to private schools. Great!

victor bonello

Oct 2nd 2012, 13:26

God bless Elections- at the last minute everything seems to materialize.
However with this spending spree it will be interesting to see how Tonio Fenech will balance his books by the end of the year.
What is worrying is not just that he will not manage to keep his targets, but that this is a strategy to leave a completely dilapidated financial and economical situation behind!

Mario Camilleri

Oct 2nd 2012, 13:16

Tajba, mela jien inħallas biex nixtri dak kollu relatat mal-edukazjoni tat-tfal tiegħi u rrid inżid ukoll spejjeż addizzjonali biex is-sinjuri jingħtaw sussidju fuq it-tagħlim ta' uliedhom. Min qal li dan il-gvern qalbu marbuta mal-ħaddiema???

Jay Oatmon

Oct 2nd 2012, 11:54

Not really on the same topic:

There is an EU requirement for Malta to have a hotline for missing children by May this year - I suppose like most things no one is accountable or responsible - so what has been done about this ??

Manuel Zammit

Oct 2nd 2012, 11:02

After being given these funds from the taxpayers' taxes, will private and church schools still be asking parents to pay the "donation" (which is anything but a donation) for improvement of the school's facilities?