Edwin Reyes Budget Speech 2022
Here’s the full text of Edwin Reyes’ budget speech:
Mr Speaker
The coming months of July and August will see, as per every year, a change in daily routines for most families in Gibraltar. These two summer months are a longish period of time when children are not in schools and, therefore, families – inclusive of their extended family members – make different plans with each catering for their own individual circumstances.
The Budget this year caters for a substantial expenditure of almost £63 million in respect of Education related expenses. This is made up of over £39 million in respect of “Payroll” expenditure alone and the remainder comes under the heading of “other charges”. The expenses on the payroll sub-heads estimated for 2022-23 actually has a predicted small saving when compared to the Forecast Outturn for 2021-22.
The good news that as from September the number of teachers employed on a substantive basis will increase is welcome indeed. But, subsequently, the provision for Temporary Cover from where Supply Teachers are normally paid has been proportionally reduced.
Despite these justified adjusted estimated expenditures for 2022-23 I cannot understand how the Education Authorities estimate that only £1,000 will be required for Maternity/Paternity Leave. We have a relatively high number of young teachers who are still within the child bearing ages, so I wonder what realistically the actual expenditure will be once the financial year 2022-23 is over.
Likewise, Temporary Cover is also reduced to £1,000 - despite the logical reality that the more teachers you have employed the higher the expenses for temporary cover should be when these teachers need to stay home due to contracting seasonal influenza or similar illnesses. Because of their close contact in classrooms with pupils, mostly in enclosed areas, it would be highly irresponsible for teachers to attend their respective workplaces if and when they have unfortunately contracted some virus or another.
There is a sub-head provision in the Estimates, Head 16 – Sub-Head 2(34) which provides £8,000 for Compulsory Professional Supervision. I believe the Minister for Education has not expanded upon this provision and would therefore be grateful for an explanation in respect of what Compulsory Professional Supervision is actually required.
Likewise, Mr Speaker, the provision of £78,000 catered for in Sub-Head 2(35) under “Cyclical Maintenance – Primary Schools” seems to me to be a new item of expenditure and any light shone upon this would also be appreciated.
There is a huge increase of almost £400,000 in respect of Facilities Management and I suppose this will be geared towards expenses in connection with improvement works within our school buildings? Again, any further information on this would be welcome.
Improvements and repairs of facilities in schools are mainly carried out during the eight weeks or so that schools are closed for pupils during the summer holiday break. I have heard from teachers that there is a certain discontent in respect of provisions and facilities made in some of our new schools. There is a difference between what contracted architects design, influenced by what they feel would look nice and pleasing to the eye in the new schools - and the reality of what teachers really would like as the most practical things for them in the delivery of their lessons.
I therefore urge that new builds and improvement works in schools are planned and executed in close consultation with classroom teachers who, after all, are the professionals entrusted with providing the best education possible for our pupils.
Details provided through the Estimates Book show an increase in the teacher compliment from 370 to 471, therefore 101 more teachers employed on a substantive basis.
Welcome as this increase is, we are left with the problem of around 90 to 100 teachers who in the past have been employed on supply contracts now being left technically as unemployed. These unfortunate Supply Teachers have had employment opportunities in the past, ranging up to six years in some cases, but now they face an unsecure future in respect of their employment opportunities and teaching careers.
Concerns have been expressed by these teachers that there does not seem to be a clear criterion of how those lucky enough to now enjoy substantive contracts have been selected. Teachers who were unsuccessful in the recent selection process are disappointed at the lack of feedback as to why they did not get the teaching job they applied for. May I strongly recommend that feedback is always offered to those who are unsuccessful in their applications so that, in turn, they may improve their employment prospects and become better professionals.
During the second and third weeks in August we traditionally suffer a few days of nervousness and anxiety. This is so because this is the time of year when our students officially receive their long awaited “A” Level and GCSE results. We all know from past experiences that examination results will have a great influence a youngster’s future. I sincerely hope that this year’s public examination results will see repetitions of past successes for all candidates. I equally hope that students will be wise in choosing their career paths for the future.
The Department of Education are strongly urged to develop a well structed careers advice programme within our Secondary Schools’ system. As a teacher I cannot recommend enough the value of pursuing higher education studies, possibly leading towards a degree in an area where our students have the academic ability to achieve this. However, a strong influencing factor as to what subject areas should be followed at university should be encouraged by what our community’s future professional skills requirements will be. There are already some professions which are well over subscribed whilst, on the other hand, there seems to be a continued need to import professional labour in other areas. Would it not be great if all Ministries provided the Education Authority with feedback as to their vision of Gibraltar’s future professional skills needs. If this were to happen then our students, who are Gibraltar’s future workforce, will certainly be the winners.
Although we rightly invest heavily in scholarships, to the tune of some £17 million for this coming year, we owe a strong commitment towards our pupils who are not necessarily of Higher Education calibre.
There are provisions to invest £130,000 towards vocational courses but, I ask, what qualifications do these vocational courses offer. Is there any provision for vocational courses post compulsory school age for students who may be better suited to pursue this path?
A deep study should be undertaken in respect of courses offered and qualifications to be obtained through our Training Centres. There is a lot of construction taking place in Gibraltar but is the labour market in this area employing locals?
With an ever-increasing number of homes in Gibraltar, both within the public and private sectors, do we have adequately qualified craftsmen to ensure the best possible maintenance service is available from our local workforce?
The Government’s housing stock needs to be adequately maintained to ensure tenants enjoy homes of an acceptable standard. However, Government has an ever-decreasing workforce in respect of home maintenance teams at the Housing Works Agency. What then is the future for housing maintenance? The Expenditure Head at Appendix D, Housing Works Agency, Sub-Head 26, actually has a decrease when compared to the 2021-22 Estimate and Forecast Outturn. I have to ask Mr Speaker how can this be so if our housing buildings are getting older and therefore might require higher maintenance?
Would it not be a more efficient service if our own Housing Works Agency had an adequate team of suitably trained craftsmen to undertake maintenance tasks of our housing stock. Would this not be a sensible way to provide stable employment for our youngsters who have not undertaken Degree courses but have attained Qualified Craftsman status at least at NVQ Level 2 and some even at Level 3 specialising in difference disciplines?
What I am saying, Mr Speaker, is that in the same way we rejoice about the successes of our University Students are we not equally bound to invest in and subsequently eventually rejoice about the successes which are achievable by those who choose not to go to university?
We must not forget the ultimate aim of providing education for our future generations: it is our duty to ensure all pupils always achieve their maximum potential.
The school leaving age in the United Kingdom, upon which we also base our educational models, is set at 16 if students then embark upon an apprenticeship or training type of employment until at least attaining the age of 18. I believe it is high time we reviewed our local school leaving age. For a pupil to leave schooling in Gibraltar at age 15 and not embark upon an approved training programme is certainly not an investment in respect of the future employability prospects of that youngster. We are now in the third decade of the 21st century and decisive action is therefore long overdue.
Whilst desiring only all the very best in respect of whatever educational reforms may be introduced over the next few years, I cannot stress enough that the views of the professionals in this field must be heard and acted upon. There is no better formula for success than to cultivate a sense of ownership amongst all professionals tasked with the education of our children.
Furthermore, the GSD believes that schoolteachers are a priority that is both needed and from which society will receive huge benefits. The job that they do benefits everyone. Teachers are not a group who are prone to industrial action or making a fuss about nothing, they do not crow the loudest. However, they are an essential and key contributory factor towards the success of our future adults and their aspirations in the adult world. To all those teachers who go the extra mile I thank you on behalf of all parents for assisting and, thus, enabling our youngsters to attain even greater successes than past generations have done.
Touching upon sports related matters, Mr Speaker, the new facilities at Lathbury Barracks and Europa which were constructed in connection with the 2019 Island Games should have been completed three years ago now. Besides the needs to meet the Games requirements themselves they are meant to enable Gibraltarian sports participants continue to produce as best results as possible with an increase of facilities which develops their wide-ranging sporting talents and abilities.
We have heard in this House of a range of excuses as to why our new facilities are still not fully completed. The latest update in respect of the delays is that their completion is now imminent. Well, I sincerely hope so because it is embarrassing to be without facilities for so long despite this project being hailed as a sporting showcase of facilities. It is totally unacceptable that whilst the President of the Gibraltar Amateur Athletics Association holds the prestigious office of President of the Athletic Association of Small States, he cannot boast about Gibraltar having any suitable venues across any of the wide range of Track and/Field in this traditional sport. The example in respect of athletics is but only one as it applies also to other sports.
The lack of approved sporting facilities has resulted in many associations not being able to take better advantage of recruiting new youngsters into their sports. It would have been an opportune moment for many local associations to welcome new participants who were at the time enthusiastic to participate in certain sports thanks to the successes they witness at the 2019 Small Island Games.
In the past we have quite often obtained results in numerous sporting disciplines which make our neighbours and sporting opponents in official competitions envious of our rather good and consistent performances. I sincerely hope that the new sports facilities, when eventually completed, will meet local requirements not only for today’s needs but for at least a generation to come.
I am sure I speak for the whole House as we offer our collective best wishes to all forthcoming participants who, through their committed efforts, will hopefully yet again make Gibraltar proud of our sporting achievements in the season which is about to commence in just a few weeks’ time and which hopefully will not be subject to further major disruptions due to international travel restrictions such as those experienced due to the pandemic in the recent past.
As an all-round Sports lover I do not wish to single out any particular sporting discipline, but, a special message must be recorded in favour of all our worthy representatives at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. May the best of Gibraltar luck accompany you all in your tough sporting challenges which lies ahead this year.
Mr Speaker, once again this year I wish to reaffirm my personal convictions that through the collective celebration of social events participating Gibraltarians contribute towards reinforcing our identity, culture and history as a people and a community. Both the performing and fine arts fraternities have always proved themselves to be very proactive within their own specialised areas and I take this opportunity to congratulate all the groups and individuals who have done Gibraltar extremely proud through their international participations and, in many cases, even gaining top awards. It is always a personal and collective pleasure to be able to say how proud we are of the international achievements of our fellow Gibraltarians.
This year’s Estimates show a token provision of £1,000 under the Improvement and Development Fund Expenditure set aside under Head 102 – Other Projects, Subhead 4 – I (India) entitled ‘Theatre’.
Through public announcements a new project has been embarked upon which will see an enlarged theatre created within the John Mackintosh Hall complex. This theatre will be built with funds provided for by public subscriptions and, therefore, it does not say much for Government’s personal commitment to see through their original plans pertaining to theatrical facilities which they pledged were going to be provided – with the old Queen’s Cinema site having been publicly announced as the preferred location.
The new Theatre will replace the existing John Mackintosh Hall facilities which currently has a little over 200 seating capacity and which is always in great demand for use by local schools and dance groups for their productions. It now begs the question of where traditional users of the existing Hall will be able to stage their shows during the works period?
With the programmed refurbishment of the John Mackintosh Hall facilities we are actually not providing much needed additional facilities; it boils down to an exchange of a small facility for a much larger one which will not necessarily cater for our ever increasing demands of theatre facilities. The new larger Theatre might be good news for some, but it has also resulted in sad news for others - like local educational schools and dance groups for whom the size was just right. I wish the traditional users of the hereto existing Mackintosh Hall facilities the best of luck in finding alternative venues which caters for their specific needs.
Government has indeed been very lucky in securing an extremely generous donation of £1.5 million towards making the new Mackintosh Hall Theatre a reality. Given the ever-increasing “cost of living”, which seems to surpass any increase in income for the average working person, I feel that finding the additional funds for a new theatre from public contributions will be tough to achieve.
I sincerely hope that our economy is handled prudently by this Government during the remaining tenure of their mandate so that in the not-too-distant future the new theatre will actually see the light of day.
Our local performers, entertainers and audiences are entitled to ask for a theatre which is fit for purpose and available throughout for 365 days a year without them having to exclusively raise the funds themselves.
Mr Speaker, I was first elected into this prestigious House in 2007 – thus I have now tried to serve our electorate for 15 years. This House will soon enter into the final year of its’ mandate and given that we live in a free and democratic country nobody knows for sure what the future holds.
Therefore, before I sit down, I must take this opportunity to once again thank you and all your staff at Parliament for the patient and professional manner in which you have all, both collectively and individually, dealt with us Members. I know that you personally have always strived to lead by example when dealing with Members on both sides of The House.
Mr Speaker - Sir, I would like to assure you that you may give yourself full credit for the advice and guidance you have so far offered to our current Clerk at the Table. I had the privilege of forming part of the Gibraltar Parliament Delegation who attended the Regional Parliamentary Association Meeting hosted by the Isle of Man in March this year and, I am certain, the other Gibraltar Delegates will also attest that our Parliament’s Clerk proved to be equally as efficient as you personally proved many years ago when I headed the Gibraltar Delegation at the CPA Regional Meeting also held at Isle of Man.
With these words Mr Speaker I wish you and all members of staff at Parliament an enjoyable summer recess.
