a secure and prosperous future

Our Policy

Our sound policies have brought both economic stability and an improved quality of life to all Gibraltarians.

Gibraltar is safer, politically, internationally, socially and economically than ever before. The GSD will continue to meet the challenges that have afforded us the success that we enjoy today.

Education and Training

At the heart of the GSD’s policy on education and training are a number of key principles which recognise the overriding importance of this policy area over the citizen’s whole life. Education and training are key to a person’s employment opportunities, earnings prospects and social and family opportunities and thus quality of life from cradle to grave. Education is a personal human right. Each person has the right to form themselves educationally. Furthermore, the education of our people is an absolutely key factor in the economic (and thus social and political) prospects for Gibraltar as a whole.

Our policy also takes account of the fact that not everyone is academically gifted or inclined, and that some people will require additional help and support to achieve their academic potential.

Accordingly, our policy is layered and structured to deliver what people of different abilities need at the different stages of life:

  • • Well staffed (more teachers) and resourced schools;

  • • Schools management restructure with reorganised and increased responsibility posts;

  • • Huge increase in educational “special needs” service;

  • • Big investment in schools information technology/computers;

  • • Big investment in school halls etc;

  • • More extensive courses and academic recovery opportunities in College of Further Education;

  • • Post 16 Consortium

  • • Big increases in University maintenance and travel grants, and parental contribution abolished;

  • • Continuing commitment to pay university fees, even as these increase sharply in UK;

  • • Establishment of Construction Training Centre: GIBdock Training Centre and Bleak House Training Centre;

  • • Vocational Training and Apprenticeship in Telecommunication, Construction, Mechanical and Electrical trades up to NVQ level 3, health & social care, business & administration, gaming etc.;

  • • Wide range of vocational training courses and “on the job” training schemes ;

  • • Wide range of personal development and training opportunities for Civil Servants;

  • • Wide range of training and personal development opportunities in partnership with private sector;

  • • Big increases in trainee pay;

  • • Wide range of adult education courses;

  • • ICT courses for the elderly;

  • • Change in school hours /lunch

  • • Big increase in per student capitation allowance for school spending

GSD policy is to continue increase the sums of money that we invest in education. We are committed to continue to pay UK University tuition fees, despite their very substantial increase in the near future, and to pay generous maintenance grants; we will continue to invest in discretionary grants.

Plans include the building of two new schools: one at the old St Bernard’s Hospital site (works under way) for the Upper town area, and one in Rooke (awaiting handover of site by MOD).