TEENAGERS are turning up at Highlands College without the basic reading and maths skills they should have learned at secondary school, claims Economic Development Minister Philip Ozouf.

He says that the college is having to spend time and money teaching students basic English and numeracy skills which they should have picked up by the time they get there.

The Senator made his comments during a hearing by the Economic Scrutiny panel, saying that his Council of Ministers colleague Education Minister Mike Vibert would have to face tough questions about why secondary schools were failing to equip some pupils with basic skills in reading and maths.

The panel, led by Deputy Geoff Southern, is reviewing youth employment and training opportunities in the Island. Towards the end of Monday’s hearing Senator Ozouf, who chairs the Skills Executive reviewing and reshaping education and training provision in Jersey, told the panel: ‘Highlands College is at the very heart of what we are trying to achieve. But it is not a secondary school, and there are some questions about the amount of money they are spending on giving a number of 16- to 18-year-olds basic numeracy and literacy skills.