Parents vow to fight over island students' funding

An increase in funding to support children from the Isles of Scilly being educated on the mainland is "a drop in the ocean", parents have said.

There are no post-16 education options available to island students which means they have to travel to, and stay on, the mainland instead.

The Council of the Isles of Scilly agreed at a meeting earlier to fund a £1,635 increase in a grant to cover transport and accommodation, bringing the total to £8,000 per pupil.

Families said it was not enough but the authority insisted it would help reduce the financial hardship.

UK children aged between 16-18 have been legally required to stay in education or training since 2014 if they are not in employment.

The council is obliged to provide transport costs but not accommodation fees.

Campaigner Samantha Mallon, whose 17-year-old son attends a boarding school in Hampshire, said: "Our children are being disadvantaged and we'd hoped that this would have been an opportunity to get things put right."

Children can be hosted by families on the mainland but the process is unregulated and some families prefer to pay more to send teenagers to a boarding school.

Ms Mallon said some parents had paid between £10,000 to £20,000 extra to cover the costs.

"We want to ensure our children's safety and a lot of us feel that this can only be achieved by ensuring our children are in regulated accommodation," she said.

Councillor Joel Williams, lead member for children on the council, said: "I recognise that it's not enough for everybody but it is enough for some and enough for more people.

"I recognise [parents'] concerns and we are still continuing to make our case to central government to try and increase the fund - and make sure the voice of local parents is heard," he added.

The UK government said it was committed to providing funding to the council to meet students' needs and it would consider further support as part of the next spending review.

The council added it would explore long-term solutions, including whether post-16 supported accommodation could be built so children could attend Truro & Penwith College, which could be cheaper than boarding elsewhere in the UK.

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